Pokemon: Destiny
by Jaxxon
Summary: Ash reveals that he more than just another trainer
1. Prologue

Pokémon: Destiny 

Prologue 

__

I have taken the responsibility of recording my family's heritage in order that my child will understand where she comes from. I guess I should start with the beginning. Thousands of years ago, this world was caught in a struggle between humans and pokémon. Both were extremely wary of the other and had little contact. That is until she appeared.   
_A single human searched for a way to bring both pokémon and humans together in harmony. She then became the first pokémon trainer. At first the pokémon were frightened by their capture but learned to trust their trainer. Eventually other trainers appeared following her example, but they soon forgot about their mentor._   
_But the pokémon never forgot her. To this day they still honor and call her "Destiny" since she revealed their future to them. After her death, her spirit returned unto her only child who continued her work of becoming a pokémon trainer. Over time, Destiny's line continue with only one heir each generation, and her spirit continued with them, but unlike with Destiny, the "gift" is passed down when the child is able to control it._   
_However, my daughter is not ready to receive the "gift" so it must remain dormant in the Valley of Destiny, our family's burial ground. Among these graves lie not only Destiny but also her children, the greatest Pokémon Masters of all time. The guardian ghost pokémon will see that it is well protected until it is her time._   
_I will soon join my ancestors, but the children of Destiny will live on. May my daughter continue our legacy with honor._   


_Daniel Faircloud_   
_-1854_

* * *

It was a stormy night as the car drove down the road. The man behind the wheel looked back at his sleeping son in the rear seat and then smiled at his wife next to him.   
"He is growing up so soon," he whispered.   
"Yes," his wife agreed. "Soon he will leave on his pokémon journey."   
"But not for at least three more years," the man laughed.   
Suddenly the storm grew worse with the downfall of heavy rain. Concentrating on the road, he never saw the other car coming. It slammed into the driver's side sending the car into the ditch.   
As the wife and mother regained her senses, she looked at her husband and screamed.   
"MICHEAL!!"   
His eyes stared blankly as his head loosely laid on his shoulder. Blinded by her tears, she shook his arm hoping he would come to. As she cried, his body began to glow. The light soon left his body and formed a globe that shot out into the night.   
Trying to regain her control, she looked back at her son who was now crying in the back seat. She quickly reached for son and pulled him into her arms. She then got out of the car and stood in the pouring rain trying to calm both her son and herself.   
"There, there," she said softly to the boy. "Everything is going to be all right," she lied.   
She looked up at the car that hit them and saw its driver slumped over the wheel. She climbed back unto the road and saw a pair of headlights coming. She waved the car down and asked him to drive ahead to the next phone and call an ambulance.   
After twenty minutes, or an eternity, the police and ambulance arrived, but too late for either driver. Later, the police ruled it to be a drunk driver who killed her husband, but it was little comfort to the widow. At the funeral, she took one last look at her love as the casket was closed and then looked at her son. He was all she had left.   
"Don't worry," she comforted her boy, "we'll be all right, Ash."   



	2. Secrets

"Come on guys," Ash shouted to Misty, Tracey, and Brock as he and Pikachu ran down the path. "I want to be back in Pallet before sundown."   
"Hey, wait up, Ash," Misty cried as she ran to catch up while carrying Togepi.   
Ash eventually slowed down when he reached the city limits of his hometown. After Misty finally caught up with Ash, they stopped and waited for Brock and Tracey. Brock had rejoined the group after Ash defeated the Orange League since he learned all he could from Prof. Ivy.   
"What was the rush to get home?" Brock asked as they walked down the streets to Ash's house.   
"Tomorrow's my birthday," Ash replied. "I just wanted to get home into for it."   
"Pi pika pi (I'm hungry)," Pikachu said to his trainer.   
"Don't worry, Pikachu," Ash told his little friend. "I'm sure Mom has a ketchup bottle or two."   
"Pika!" 

"Ash!" Mrs. Ketchum called when she saw her son and his friends. She ran down the street and gave Ash a kiss on the forehead.   
Ash blushed at being embarrassed in front of the others. "Mom," he whined half-heatedly.   
Luckily, Tracey saved Ash from further embarrassment. "Perhaps, we better drop off our pokémon at the Pokémon Center," he suggested.   
"Yeah," Brock said as he went into pretty-girl mode. "I haven't seen Nurse Joy in ages."   
"Oh, brother," Misty sighed.   
"We'll be back in a little while," Ash said as he slipped out of his mother's grasp. "Come on, Pikachu."   
"Pikapi," Pikachu shouted as he left the Ketchum's residence with a bottle of ketchup in his paws. 

"Shame our pokémon while have to spend the night at the Pokémon Center," Misty sighed as Mrs. Ketchum was making dinner for her guests.   
"I wished I could've stayed with Nurse Joy," Brock said while still in pretty-girl mode.   
His friends just sighed. "So, Ash," Tracey said trying to change the subject, "what are we doing for your birthday?"   
"Well, tomorrow morning, I have to take care of something, so could you pick my pokémon for me?" Ash replied.   
"Sure."   
"My mom while probably plan something for that afternoon."   
Misty was quietly thinking to herself. _I need to get something for Ash tomorrow first thing in the morning_' She looked over at the would-be Pokémon Master. _Something special_.   
"Dinner's ready," Mrs. Ketchum called from the kitchen. The four rushed to the table and began to wolf down their meal. 

Meanwhile, three other familiar faces were receiving a less welcome homecoming.   
"You three idiots have just wasted another year chasing after a little Pikachu," Giovanni yelled at Jessie, James, and Meowth. "And what have you to show for yourselves?"   
He then picked up a list from off his desk and began reading it to them.   
"Let's see: my gym was ruined, Pokémon Land was destroyed, Butch and Cassidy along with several other Team Rocket members from that St. Anne fiasco have been arrested, and now I have a terrible headache from yelling at you incompetents!"   
After taking a moment to compose himself, Giovanni turned back to three cowering figures in his office. "How can you explain this?"   
"It's was that twerp," Jessie stuttered. "If it weren't for him we'd be number one."   
Giovanni sighed. "Again with this 'twerp.' What is his name?"   
"Ash," James replied. "Ash Ketchum."   
Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "Did you say Ketchum?"   
"Yes, sir," James answered nervously. Giovanni reached into a drawer and pulled at a picture and tossed to the front of his desk. "Does he look like this?"   
Jessie and James looked down at the picture and nodded. "Yes, but Ash is a little younger than the guy in this picture."   
Giovanni frowned scaring Team Rocket even more.   
"Get out," he ordered.   
As the three left, he picked up the picture with his left hand as he scratched the head of his Persian with his right. "Even from the grave you haunt me?" he said as he looked down at the picture.   
Picking up the phone, he told his assistant to come in. As soon as the young woman had shut his office door, he told her what to do.   
"Get every bit of information about this Ash Ketchum that you can. Jessie and James can help you find where to start. I want to know more about him than he knows about himself."   
"Yes, sir." 

Brock and Tracey had already gone to bed when Misty left the bathroom. Seeing there would be no room for her in the guest bedroom, she could chose between staying in Ash's room or the couch downstairs.   
"I'll just kicked Ash out of the bed," Misty smiled to herself. "After all, a host most always give a bed to his guest."   
When she went downstairs to get a little snack before going to sleep, she heard voices from the kitchen.   
"Ash, you're still too young."   
"Mom, it's been over six years. What if it just goes away?"   
"Ash, you know better than that," Mrs. Ketchum sighed. "Wait another year."   
"Can't you see, I'm ready now," Ash replied. "I'm already the champion of the Orange League, and since I missed the Pokémon League Competition this year, I will have a full year to learn how to use it."   
"Very well," Mrs. Ketchum gave in. "But are you taking any of the others?"   
Ash laughed. "Now who is forgetting the legend?"   
Mrs. Ketchum gave Ash a sly smile. "What about Misty?"   
Misty gulped at the mention of her name. _What does this have to do with me?_ she thought.   
"No," Ash answered. "I don't want her to be a part of this?"   
Mrs. Ketchum just smiled, "Whatever, Ash."   
Misty sneaked back upstairs and quickly got into Ash's bed. After a few minutes, the door opened and Ash came in while Misty pretended to be asleep.   
"So much for sleeping in a bed," Ash said to himself as he pulled out his sleeping bag onto the floor.   
As soon as he was asleep, Misty looked down at him. _What are you up to?_ she wondered. 


	3. Ghost in the Works

Ash woke up just before sunrise. As he quietly left his room, he did not notice that he had also awakened Misty. As soon as she heard the door close, she quickly got out of bed and headed to the window to wait for Ash to leave. When he finally left the house, she decided to follow him. 

Ash was out of Pallet before 7 AM and was now on his way to the forest between Pallet and Viridian City. Ash was too busy trying to calm his thoughts to notice Misty following him.   
_What if Mom was right_, he thought as ducked under a low branch. _What if I'm not ready yet?_ But the closer he was to his destination, the clearer the purpose became. _Now is the time_' 

Misty was surprised that Ash seemed to actually know where he was going. "And I thought he get lost again," she said to herself.   
Finally, he seemed to reach where he was going, a cave. "Not another cave," Misty sighed.   
She watched as Ash entered the cave. "Better see what mess he has gotten into now," Misty again sighed as she walked up to the entrance of the cave. That was when she heard a familiar and frightening voice. 

Ash already went through the small tunnel when the Haunter appeared.   
"Haun haunter," it laughed at Ash.   
Ash shrugged. "Sorry, I can't understand you."   
"Well, we'll just take care of that," a new voice replied.   
Ash looked to his side and saw a Ghastly. "Aren't you from Maiden's Point?"   
"Nice of you to remember," Ghastly answered. "I should have seen this coming. You were the first one in over a hundred years to blow my cover."   
Ash looked confused at this statement. "Seen what coming?"   
Ghastly shook his head in frustration. "Why do I even bother?"   
Still not understanding, Ash walked into the valley just past the tunnel's exit. "Um, Haunter?"   
"Haun?"   
"Can you show me where Dad is?"   
"Haun haun."   
As Haunter lead Ash to a place deep inside the valley, Ghastly noticed a girl coming through the tunnel. _What is that girl doing here?_ he thought to himself. He then recognized her and began to grin. _This should be interesting._

Ash walked up to his father's grave after Haunter left. "Hi, Dad," he said to the stone that marked his grave. "It's been a while."   
Ash was beginning to feel nervous. He never been to his father's grave before, and it had been six years since Ash last saw him.   
"I just want you to know," Ash said as he held back his tears, "that I hope to continue to keep the family's honor."   
As he walked off to the center of the valley, Misty crept up to the gravestone and read the engraving. 

Michael Ketchum   
Pokémon Master

She was beginning to understand why Ash was so determined to be a Pokémon Master. He must want to live up to his father's name.   
Ghastly watched her go after Ash from and laughed. "Looks like someone didn't learn their lesson the first time." 

In center of valley was a small shrine. In the shrine were two objects, an old leather bound book and an orb of light. Ash picked up the booked and turned to the first page. He quickly glanced other the entry made by Daniel Faircloud but read with interest the entry made by his daughter Sarah. She was the only other one that had received the "gift" like this; all the rest it was simply given by the parent when the child was ready. He quietly read to himself: 

__

Father never completely explained what to do when I was to receive the gift. Since I was twelve years old, he merely told me to wait until I knew I was ready. After waiting three years, I hiked to the Valley, but I brought along my best friend Tim. Since my father was gone, I thought that he could at least keep me company. I just did not figure at the time that he was going to be with me a lot longer than that. I placed my hand upon the orb think it would absorb into my body like it had for my father. It instead went straight to Tim, going through him and then returning to me.   
_After I had received the gift I ran over to Tim. He said he was fine, and we left the Valley. When I began to show what the gift to me was, Tim and I became even closer. It soon reached the point where I almost did not know we were two separate people. We were married four years later._   
_It wasn't until after I passed the gift to my son that I realized that it caused the connection between Tim and me. I thought that it would be best to record these events under my father's entry so if this should ever happen again, they would know what could happen._

Sarah Ketchum  
-1882 

Ash closed the book and laid back on the floor of the shrine. He closed his eyes and held his breath as he reached for the orb before. As soon as his fingers touched it, the orb flew by his face, and he then heard a scream. Turning around he saw the path of the ball of light. It was heading straight for Misty.   
"Misty!?" he screamed as he ran to her.   
The orb passed through just as Sarah described and was now returning to Ash. When it hit him, Ash felt like he had been lifted six feet off the ground. All he could see was a bright white light. After the effects of orb wore off, he collapsed on the grass. 

Misty felt a strange feeling pass over her when the orb had passed through her, but as quickly as it came, it left as rapidly. She then saw Ash collapse and ran to him. "Come on, Ash," she plied. "Wake up."   
Ash's eyelids began to twitch so she backed off to give him some air. When he opened his eyes, he was staring directly into hers.   
"Oh, Misty," he sighed as he sat up. "Why did you have to follow me?"   
"Well, excuse me for caring about my investment," she replied both relieved that Ash was okay and annoyed that he had asked that question.   
"Your investment?"   
"You still owe me a bike, Ash Ketchum," Misty sneered.   
"Are you still going on about that dumb bike?" Ash yelled.   
Misty was about to respond to this when Ghastly hovered between the two. "Please children, you mustn't fight."   
"Haun (Yeah)," Haunter agreed.   
Ash blinked at the ghost pokémon.   
"I understood you?" he questioned.   
"Haun haunter haun (Part of the gift)," Haunter replied.   
"I don't think we should discuss such things in front of the girl," Ghastly interrupted.   
"Huh," Misty responded annoyed. "It's not like I could understand a word Haunter said."   
"True," Ghastly replied, "but I must talk to Ash alone for now."   
"Fine," Misty huffed. "I'll just leave this stupid place to the brain dead."   
"Misty, I'm still alive," Ash said as she walked to the tunnel. "So, you're still just as brain dead as that Haunter," Misty called back. 

"Waa, why did Misty have to go and follow me here?" Ash complained to Ghastly.   
"I don't know," Ghastly laughed, "but I think she like you."   
"But it is only because the orb hit her. The book said..." Ash replied.   
"The book only said that Sarah and her best friend had a deeper relationship," Ghastly interrupted. "I bet she had feeling for you before, otherwise she wouldn't have followed you here.'   
"I don't know," Ash murmured.   
"Haunter haun haun (Tell him about the gift)," Haunter said trying to the two back on track.   
"Right," Ghastly replied. "Well, for starters, you can understand all pokémon languages."   
"Just like Dad," Ash said cheerfully.   
"Yes, but from what the ghost pokémon here tell me, that was as far as it went for your father."   
"There's more?" Ash responded.   
Ghastly shook his head. "Why me?" he murmured. "Yes, for some, psychic abilities, but with your mental capacity..."   
"Hey," Ash protested.   
"But others could actually talk like pokémon not just understand them," Ghastly continued.   
"That would be neat," Ash replied.   
"Listen," Ghastly said seriously. "I don't know what all this "gift" will do. You may be just like your father, or ..."Ghastly trailed off.   
"Or?" Ash asked.   
"Haun haun haun (Be like Destiny)," Haunter finished.   
Ash laughed along with Haunter and Ghastly. "There's no way that could ever happen," they agreed.   
"Well, I better catch up with Misty," Ash said to the two ghost pokémon.   
"Good luck, Ash," Ghastly called as the pokémon trainer went to the tunnel.   
"Haun haun haunter (Be nice to the girl)," Haunter cried.   
Ghastly and Haunter then turned to a gravestone that was close to the shrine. "There goes another one," Ghastly told her.


	4. Fond Memories

"Ash, that's the third time when seen that pine tree," Misty complained. "Just admit that we're lost."   
"We're not lost," Ash replied as he looked around trying to remember how to get back to Pallet. "I knew exactly where we are."   
"Where then, Mr. Pokémon Master?"   
"We're not in Pallet, that's for sure," Ash answered before a two-ton mallet crashed down on his head. 

Brock and Tracey were walking down to the Pokémon Center to pick up their pokémon along with Ash's. Since Misty had told them that she had to get Ash a birthday present, they figured she had already got hers.   
"Hello, Nurse Joy," Brock sighed as he leaned over the counter.   
With a sweatdrop on the back of his head, Tracey asked for their pokémon along with their friend's.   
Nurse Joy returned with a pile of pokéballs along with Pikachu and Togepi.   
"Priiii," Togepi chirped when she saw her "Uncles" Brock and Tracey.   
"Togepi?" Brock stated as he emerged from his pretty-girl mode. "I thought Misty had picked you up?"   
"Maybe she wanted to leave Togepi here while she went shopping?" Tracey guessed.   
"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked looking for his trainer.   
"Oh, Pikachu, Ash said he needed to take care of something this morning," Tracey said to the confused pokémon.   
"Come on," Brock said as he and Togepi headed to the door. "We need to Mrs. Ketchum with Ash's birthday party."   
"Yeah/Pika!" Tracey said as they ran to catch up. 

Mrs. Ketchum was flipping through an old photo album when Brock and Tracey returned. Seeing them come in, she called them to her.   
"Here," she said as she proudly handed the album to the boys. "Take a look at these pictures of Ash."   
The first picture in the album was of a younger Mrs. Ketchum in a hospital gown holding a newborn. As they flipped through the book they laughed at some of Ash's toddler pictures.   
"This is a good one," Brock laughed pointing to picture of a three-year-old Ash loosing a splash fight to a Magicarp in a wading pool.   
Mrs. Ketchum laughed along. "That Magicarp belonged to Ash's godfather," she told them. "Ash loved it when he came to Pallet for a visit with Michael."   
She got up and walked over to the bookcase on the far wall. She pulled out another album and placed it on the table. Turning to a point in the middle of the book, she should a picture to Brock and Tracey.   
"That's Michael when he was Ash's age," she said as she noticed the shock on both their faces. "Ash looks just like him," she added with smile.   
Turn to page further along in the book, Brock noticed something in the hand of the sixteen-year-old Michael Ketchum. "That's a Pokémon Master's badge!" he shouted.   
"Yes," Mrs. Ketchum sighed remembering the moment. "He was so proud to had finally won it."   
Tracey turned the page again and noticed a picture of Michael and another guy running down a dirt road.   
"Oh, that's John," Mrs. Ketchum informed them. "He was Michael's best friend and later Ash's godfather."   
"Does he still come by?" Brock asked wanting to ask him about Michael's Pokémon journey.   
"No," Mrs. Ketchum replied sadly as she put the albums back on the shelf. "John and his wife in a boating accident died around the same time as Michael."   
Brock felt really bad about bringing up such painful memories, luckily Tracey saved him again. "What are we going to do for Ash's birthday?"   
"I can bake a cake," Brock offered.   
"And I'll wrap the gift we got him this morning," Tracey said as he headed up to the guestroom.   
Mrs. Ketchum smiled as she watched the two boys trying hard to make this birthday special for her son. "Ash has some great friends," she said to herself but noticed someone was missing.   
"Where's Misty?" she asked Brock who was beating the cake mix in a large bowl.   
"Don't know," Brock replied. "I was wondering why she hasn't gotten back from shopping yet since she left right after Ash." He had been up in the kitchen making breakfast when the two went out.   
Mrs. Ketchum laughed to herself. _I wonder if she followed him_, she thought as she went to decorate the dining room. 

"Finally back to civilization," Misty cheered as she and Ash walked into Pallet.   
"I told you I knew where we were going," Ash told her as they walked by the Pokémon Center.   
"Don't start with me, Ash," Misty yelled at him. "I just want to go in and pick up my pokémon."   
When Misty walked in and asked Nurse Joy about her pokémon, Joy replied, "I gave them to your friends who came by here earlier."   
"Thanks," Misty said grateful that Togepi was still with Pikachu. 

*I want Mommy* Togepi cried as Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur laid on the floor of Ash's room.   
Pikachu looked over at Squirtle and Bulbasaur looking for suggestions.   
*She'll be back soon, Togepi* Pikachu told the baby pokémon.   
*She's probably still looking for a present for Ash* Squirtle added.   
Togepi stopped crying, and the older pokémon let out a sigh of relief.   
*What are we going to get Ash for his birthday?* Squirtle asked the other two.   
*I have an idea* Pikachu said with a smile.   
*What?* Bulbasaur asked.   
*Get him hooked up with Misty* Pikachu laughed.   
*You call that a gift?* Squirtle frowned.   
*She'll kill him* Bulbasaur agreed. *Right after she kills us!*   
*Not if we use her* Pikachu said point to Togepi who was playing with one of Ash's old toys. *She won't hurt her baby*   
*Yeah* the others said with big grins. 

"Ash," Misty said as she walked into a PokéMart, "I'll meet you back at your house."   
"Sure thing," Ash replied as he walked off. _Wonder what she'll get me._   
Suddenly the picture of a Psyduck popped into his mind with Misty handing it to him. "Here, Ash," she laughed. "Now you have a pokémon that's dumber than you."   
Ash facefaulted. "She would do something like that." 

*How are going to do this again?* Bulbasaur asked Pikachu.   
*We're going to get Togepi to think Ash is her father* Pikachu replied.   
*But how is that going to make Misty like Ash?* Squirtle demanded.   
Pikachu sighed. *If Togepi thinks Ash is her father, she is going to want him to stay with her mother!*   
*It's worth a try* Bulbasaur agreed.   
The three walked over the baby pokémon who was content with playing with Ash's model Pidgey.   
*Hey, Togepi* Pikachu called as the three got closer.   
*Yes?*   
*We were wondering* Pikachu began, *how do you feel about Ash?*   
Togepi blinked absently at the question. *He and Mommy fight a lot*   
*Ain't that the truth* Bulbasaur murmured, and Squirtle laughed at his comment.   
*But I think Mommy really likes him* Togepi added.   
The three older pokémon grinned at each other. *How would you like a Daddy, Togepi?* Pikachu asked.   
*Daddy?* Togepi asked with a puzzled look. *You mean Ash is Daddy!?*   
*Sure he is* Bulbasaur told the little egg pokémon. *That is the reason why he and your Mommy fight so much*   
Togepi just looked up at her "uncles" with a big smile on her face.   
*How about you go downstairs and wait for them to come home* Pikachu told her.   
As Togepi waddled down the steps, Squirtle turned to Pikachu and Bulbasaur. *Don't you feel guilty about doing that Togepi?*   
*No* both of them replied as Pikachu started to search through Ash's closet for anything that would be amusing. 

Giovanni was looking through the folder that was placed on his desk that morning. It was mostly the official information on Ash Ketchum and not very insightful about his personality.   
He was Michael Ketchum's son as he suspected and seemed to following in his father's footsteps. Giovanni laughed at the speed Ash went through the trainers. Somewhat slow for trainers now-a-days but still faster than his father. His eight badges surprised him. Ash had his earth badge which few trainers could boast having.   
"Let's see," Giovanni said as he read and stroked the head of his Persian. "Ash Ketchum from Pallet, only surviving relative Diane Ketchum. Travels with Brock Stone, Tracey Sketcher, and Misty..." he trailed off when he saw her last name.   
"Julie," he called to his assistant.   
"Yes, sir."   
"While you gather information on Ash Ketchum, see what you can find on Misty Waterflower."   
Julie wrote the name down on her pad and returned to her research.   
Giovanni continued to read Ash's file but couldn't take his mind off how similar he was to his father.


	5. Good-byes

Misty as walked through the front door carrying her shopping bag, Togepi shouted for joy, "Priii! (Mommy!)"   
"Hi, Togepi," Misty replied as she bent down to pick her up. "Enjoy the night at the Pokémon Center?"   
"Toki toki toki, (Yeah, but I missed you)"   
Misty smiled at her precious baby as she placed Ash's gift down on the coffee table and sat on the couch. "Sorry, I couldn't pick you up this morning."   
"Toki pi, (That's okay)" Togepi as she snuggled into a comfortable position. "Toki toki priii. (Uncle Pikachu was there)"   
Misty was about to fall asleep when Togepi said, "Toki pi toki?(Where's Daddy?)"   
Misty was suddenly wide-awake. "Daddy?!"   
"Toki ... (Uncles Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle said Ash is my Daddy)" Togepi cooed.   
"I'm going to have to talk to them," Misty said to herself. 

In the park near his block, Ash sat on bench thinking about what had just happened to him. He did not feel any different now that he received the "gift."   
"Maybe it's just some overrated family tradition," he sighed but remembered understanding that Haunter. _Maybe that has something to do with it,_ he thought.   
He looked up in the sky and saw a large shadow heading towards him.   
"Pidgeot! (Ash!)" it screamed to him.   
"Pidgeot!" Ash called back. "It's good to see you again."   
"Eot pidgeot, (The flock doesn't need me now)" Pidgeot told him, "pidgeot... (and since you're back...)"   
"Come on, Pidgeot," Ash said as he got up. "Let's go home."   
Ash was enjoying getting an old friend back on his birthday. 

"Here he comes," Tracey told the others waiting in the den.   
When Ash opened, and everyone shouted "Happy Birthday!"   
Ash smiled at all his friends and his mom, "Thanks, guys."   
"Well, come on," Professor Oak told him. "Open your presents so we can get to the cake."   
"All right!" Ash shouted as Tracey and Brock gave him their present.   
"We chipped in together and got you this," Tracey said as he handed it to Ash.   
After unwrapping it, Ash pulled out a pokéball. "An ultraball. This could come in handy later. Thanks."   
Professor Oak went next and handed Ash an unwrapped brown box. "Sorry, I can't do wrapping paper."   
"That's okay," Ash said as he ripped open the box. "Less stuff in the way."   
Inside was a glass box with a blue cushion on it. "I thought you could use it to display your badges with," Professor Oak told him.   
Ash reached into his jacket and took out his eight gym badges and four Orange League badges and placed them inside.   
"They look great in there," Ash told Oak.   
"Here you go, Ash," Mrs. Ketchum said as she handed her son three wrapped gifts.   
Ash first unwrapped the smallest gift. It was a gold chain with a pokéball shaped pendent. "It was your father's," she told him. "I think he would want you to have it."   
"Thanks, Mom," Ash said as he put it on and slipped the pendent under his shirt.   
After opening the next box, he quickly closed before the others could see what was inside. "You can never have enough clean..." Mrs. Ketchum chided.   
"Mom!" Ash whined as he picked up the next gift. It was picture of Ash's friend and pokémon.   
"This is a good picture," Ash wondering when it was taken.   
"Thanks," said a voice from the kitchen. "I didn't think it would develop in time, though."   
Ash turned and saw Todd come in. "Todd," Ash greeted, "what are you doing here?"   
"I had to stop by Professor Oak's to take a few picture for PokéScience," Todd replied. "Since I didn't have to leave until tomorrow, your mom invited me to your party."   
"Thanks for coming," Ash as he looked at three crossed pokémon. "What's wrong, Pikachu?"   
Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur were on the receiving end of Misty's mallet less than an hour ago and were still hurting.   
"Pika pikapi chu, (Misty ruined our gift)" Pikachu moaned.   
"Misty," Ash said looking over at the girl who did not understand what Pikachu said, "why did mess with Pikachu's present?"   
"Ash, if you had trained your pokémon better," she accused, "they would not have messed with Togepi."   
"What did they do?" Ash said looking down at Pikachu who was trying his cute, innocent look.   
"I don't think you should know," she replied.   
"Waaa, come on tell me," Ash demanded.   
"Stop it, you two," Brock said stepping between his younger friends.   
"Misty, how about you give Ash your present."   
"Okay," she yielded and handed Ash a bag.   
Ash looked in, and a big smile covered his face as he pulled out a Pokémon League jacket. It was made of leather and on the back was a normal red and gray pokéball.   
"Thanks, Misty," Ash told her as he replaced his old jacket for the new one. "But didn't this cost a fortune?"   
"Oh," Misty replied trying not to blush, "I got it one sale."   
As the two looked at each other, their moment was broken when Todd accidentally stepped on Pikachu's tail. Pikachu then thundershocked everyone in the room. After everyone came to, the glared at both Todd and Pikachu for causing their pain.   
"Let's get to the cake," Tracey said before Misty whipped out her mallet.   
"Sure," they all agreed as they went into the kitchen. 

"What can we do for you, Boss?" the young man at the other end of the videophone asked Giovanni.   
"I'm sending you some information on a certain problem I have," Giovanni replied as he sent the material Julie, his assistant, found on Ash.   
"How should we handle this?"   
"With discretion," Giovanni answered. "If possible, maybe an accident."   
"How about we use this along with a job we have planned in Saffron?"   
Giovanni leaned in closer. "Go on."   
"We were planning on steal some psychic pokémon from Sabrina's gym. This guy could just be a bonus," the young man replied.   
"There can be no witnesses," Giovanni told him.   
"Don't worry," the man said with a smile. "There won't be." 

The next morning, Brock was packing to go home to Pewter. He told them he called his Dad last night and found out that he could use some help with Brock's brothers and sisters. Tracey was also moving out but only as far as Professor Oak's lab. He was excited about learning under his idol and was going to stay with Oak.   
After they said good-bye to Brock, Tracey, and Todd, Misty and Ash went back inside to eat breakfast.   
"I fixed you pancakes," Mrs. Ketchum told.   
"So, Misty," Mrs. Ketchum asked her after she joined them at the table. "What did you do yesterday morning?"   
Ash gulped.   
"Don't choke to death," Misty taunted. "I don't want you dying before you repay me for my bike."   
"It took longer than I thought to find Ash's present," she lied.   
"Oh," Mrs. Ketchum replied. 

While Ash was washing dishes after breakfast, Togepi was watching him from the counter.   
"Toki toki prii? (Daddy, can I play with Pikachu now?)" she asked.   
"Sure, Togepi but do you ask?" Ash replied. He then caught what Togepi called him. "Daddy?!"   
"Toki toki toki, (Mommy told me not play with him)" she answered. "Toki priii...(But since you said okay...)"   
Togepi jumped off the counter and ran outside to Pikachu before either of her "parents" could say another word.   
"No wonder Misty is mad at Pikachu," Ash laughed. 

Misty decided she would call her sister since it had been a long time since they last spoke.   
"Hello?" Misty saw it was Lilly who answered the phone. "Oh, hi Misty."   
"Hi Lilly, how are Horsea and Starmie doing?" she asked.   
"Oh, they are, like, loving it here," Lilly replied, "but they miss you."   
"Maybe I should come for a visit," Misty told her older sister.   
"Like sure," Lilly said with a smile on her face. "Maybe you can help out in the gym."   
"What do you mean?" Misty asked.   
"Well," Lilly answered hesitantly, "we haven't been too good. We're are, like, just giving away badges."   
Misty sighed. Her sister may have the "good looks" of the family, but she had the pokémon skill.   
"I'm coming home," she told her sister.   
"Thanks a bunch, Misty," Lilly said as the videophone went black.   
Misty walked over to couch in the den. Ash was there watching a pokémon match on television. He wasn't paying much interest in the fight but was trying to listen to what the pokémon were saying. He was surprised that he understood every single word. He was so enthralled by this new ability that he did not notice Misty had sat down next to him.   
"Ash," she finally spoke up.   
He jumped at being surprised and turned off the television. "What's up, Misty?"   
"I've got to go back home," she told him. "My sisters are going to ruin our gym if I don't do something."   
Ash remembered how much Misty had wanted to save the gym's reputation when he was there for the Cascade Badge.   
"Okay," he told her. "When are we leaving?"   
Misty laughed. "We aren't going anywhere. I am leaving tomorrow morning."   
"Why can't I come too?" he whined.   
"Because," she told with motherly voice, "you just get bored soon."   
"And besides," she continued, "I'm sure Professor Oak will have some errands for you and Tracey to run."   
Ash gave in. He really did not feel like getting into an argument or being pounded by a mallet.   
"Don't worry," Misty told him. "I won't be away for more than three weeks. A month at the latest."   
"A month!" Ash shouted.   
Ash looked at Misty. She was serious. "If you're gone for more than three weeks, I coming for a visit," Ash told her.   
Misty smiled. _Maybe he does like me,_ she thought. "Fine then" 

Misty got on the bus at 9 the next morning. Mrs. Ketchum did not like the idea of the girl walking all the way to Cerulean alone so she bought a bus ticket. As the bus pulled away, Mrs. Ketchum looked at her son. She could tell he was holding back tears.   
"She followed you, didn't she?" Mrs. Ketchum asked as they walked home.   
Ash did not answer but pulled out the wallet size picture Todd gave him. It was same as the one his mom gave him as a present.   
_Misty_, he thought as they walked home, _I'll be there soon_. 


	6. A Mother's Plight

"Haun haun haun," Haunter laughed as he was rearranging his face for his trainer. She always loved this trick.   
The young woman laughed when his face was upside down. "Haunter, you always know how to cheer me up."   
Over in the corner of the room, the girl's parents were smiling. They had finally gotten their daughter two years ago thanks to the densest pokémon trainer in the league.   
Suddenly the doors to the room open as one of the students came in.   
"Sabrina, there are three trainers waiting for you in the gym," he informed them.   
Sabrina sighed. Between teaching psychics how to use their powers and being a gym leader, she barely had any time to relax. "I'll be there shortly."   
Sabrina turned to Haunter. "I want you to stay here and not distract me this time," she told him. She had lost three other matches besides Ash because of Haunter's appearance.   
"Haun haun," he said disappointed as he floated off to his playroom.   
Sabrina and her parents walked over to the arena and saw three figures dressed entirely in black. "Who is the challenger?" she asked.   
The boy with dark blue hair and eyes stepped forward. He was about Sabrina's age. His two companions, one a girl with green eyes and blonde hair, the other a boy with brown eyes and dark green hair, stood behind him.   
"I'm Scott," the blue-hair boy stated. "I challenge you for a Marsh Badge."   
"Very well," Sabrina said as she went to her side of the arena. "It will be a one-on-one match with no time limit."   
Her parents went to the center sideline to judge the match.   
Scott smirked when he said, "Go, Alakazam!"   
"Kazam," the pokémon stated as it entered the arena.   
"I choose Kadabra," Sabrina said throwing in a pokéball.   
"Kadabra!" her pokémon said as it appeared from the pokéball.   
"Kadabra, confusion," Sabrina commanded.   
"Alakazam, teleport than hypnosis," Scott countered.   
After Alakazam reappeared on the other end of the court, he sent his hypnosis at Sabrina instead of Kadabra. Sabrina not prepared for this collapsed on the ground.   
"Attacking other trainers is illegal," Sabrina's father said as his wife ran to her daughter. "You are disqualified."   
Scott smiled. "I'm more than that. Jeff, Mary, now," Scott shouted.   
A Hypno and Mr. Mime appeared in front of Sabrina's father.   
"Hypno," Jeff commanded, "put that loud mouth to sleep."   
"Hypno," the pokémon did as commanded.   
"Scrawny," Mary called to her Mr. Mime, "grab the other one."   
The Mr. Mime leaped over to where Sabrina's mother was holding her daughter. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Sabrina.   
"Let go of me," she demanded.   
Scott, Jeff, and Mary walked over to her. Scott picked up the pokéball laying near Sabrina.   
"Kadabra, return," he said to the pokémon who fainted when its master collapsed.   
Scott then turned the woman struggling to get free from Scrawny. "Now," Jeff told her, "you will do exactly like we say, or..." He pointed to the sleeping bodies of Sabrina and her father. Scott's eyes began to glow red as the two began to float in the air. "I'm afraid we'll have to do more than put these two to sleep."   
Sabrina's mom bowed her head in defeat. If he could take out both her daughter and husband, this young man could be the world's most powerful psychic.   
"Good," Scott sneered. "Alakazam, lock these two up nice and tight with those chains we brought."   
Jeff told the worried mother, "Don't fret. Those chains absorb psychic energy. Now those two are as gentle as a Clefairy."   
After checking that the sleeping psychics were secured, Scott returned to their hostage. "Now, dismiss all those students in the front of the gym. Mary will go with you."   
Sabrina's mother glared at him. "Who are you?" she demanded.   
Scott laughed. "We're the Team Rocket Psychics Corp." 

"All right, vine whip now," Ash commanded his Bulbasaur.   
"Beedril, twin needle attack," the other trainer called.   
The Beedril slipped under Bulbasaur's vine whip but missed him when it dived for its attack.   
"Bulbasaur, clip its wings with your razor leaf," Ash called.   
Beedril tried to dodge the sharp leaves but failed. After its trainer recalled it, Ash leaped in the air.   
"Yeah, another victory," he shouted with joy. It was then he noticed none of his friends there.   
"Good match," his opponent said as he walked off to the Pokémon Center.   
"Yeah, but I miss the others," Ash whispered as he walked back home. 

"Sorry, better luck next time," Misty told the defeated trainer.   
"I thought this was supposed to be the easiest gym in the league," he murmured as he walked out.   
Misty dived into the pool. She had won every match since she came back last week, but her sisters still would not train with her. In fact, they seemed to train less leaving her to run the gym.   
She sighed as she floated in the pool. She liked being home again but missed the freedom of being on the road. She especially missed the others.   
Violet walked into the gym and told Misty she had a call.   
"Hello?" Misty said as the black screen turned on.   
It was Brock with his father being attacked by his little brothers and sisters in the background. "Hey, Emily get off Dad's... Oh, hi Misty," Brock said as he was making lunch.   
"Is everything all right there?" Misty asked.   
Flint had managed to get to his feet now and was herding the children into the dining room. "Just fine," Brock answered. "Enjoying being a gym leader?"   
"I like the challenge, but I would hate to pinned down here for very long," she replied. "What about you? You take over the gym?"   
"No, I'm leaving that to Dad," Brock said as he put down the mixing bowl in his hands. "I'm just taking care of my brothers and sisters."   
"Misty, have you seen my hairbrush?" Daisy called from her room.   
"Lily has it," she called back.   
Misty turned back to the videophone "Have you heard from Ash?" she asked.   
"I called yesterday, but he was out," Brock answered. "I figure he'd call back today."   
A little red light on Misty's videophone indicated she had another call coming through. "Brock, mind if I take another call?" Misty asked.   
"Sure," Brock answered. "I need to finish making lunch anyway. Bye."   
"Bye," Misty said as she switched to the other line. "Hello?"   
Ash came on the screen. "Hi ya, Misty," he said with a large smile.   
"Hi Ash," Misty replied. "I'll be with you in a second, okay?"   
"Sure."   
Misty went back to the pool. "Togepi," she called.   
"Toki?" the baby egg replied.   
"Ash is on the phone," Misty informed her. "Want to talk to him?"   
"Toki toki," Togepi cheered as she followed her mother back to phone.   
"Ash, I have someone who wants to talk to you," Misty said as she bent down to pick up Togepi.   
"Toki! (Daddy!)"   
"Hi Togepi," Ash replied. "Misty, how do you feel about Togepi calling me that?"   
"It wasn't exactly my idea," Misty sighed, "but I guess its okay. I just want to know why your pokémon did this."   
"Pikachu won't tell me," Ash replied. "Anyway, how are things going with the gym?"   
"Great," Misty answered. "I haven't lost a single match since I came back."   
"Maybe I should put a stop to that," Ash laughed.   
Misty glared at him. "Try it and end up like the rest," she sneered, "running to the Pokémon Center."   
"I'm sure Pikachu will fight you this time," Ash said trying to suppress his laughter. "He, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur are still sore from your talk with them."   
"Just come and try," Misty said back.   
They both remained silent for a moment not knowing what to say. "Well, I better go," Ash said breaking the silence.   
"Yeah, me too," Misty replied.   
"See ya soon," Ash said as he waited for Misty to hang up.   
"Bye, Ash," Misty said as the screen went black. 

"Good," Scott said as Mary and Sabrina's mother returned. "Now where do you keep the rest of your pokémon?"   
The worried mother looked at her family still sleeping in their chains. "They're in the back," she replied.   
"Jeff, Mary, get them, but be ready for any surprises," Scott whispered to the other Rockets.   
"Sure thing," they said as Sabrina's mother escorted them to Haunter's playroom. 

"Haun haun," Haunter cheered as he was juggling Sabrina's other pokéballs.   
When the door opened, he expected to see Sabrina but instead saw two figures dressed in black. "This was a setup, Jeff," Mary said as she threw a superball at the ghost pokémon.   
"Haun?!" Haunter screamed as he disappeared into the pokéball. The red light blinked a little but turned white indicating the capture.   
Mary smirked as she gathered the pokéballs. "Nice try," she told Sabrina's mother, "but that Haunter was no match for me."   
Their hostage sighed. She had thought Haunter would be able to stop them long enough for her to grab the pokéballs. 

Scott beamed when he saw Jeff and Mary returning with a pile of pokéballs. "Excellent, now for the final part."   
He turned to Sabrina's mother.   
"This is the last thing you'll have to do," he informed her. "You are going to call Ash Ketchum and invite him to come here."   
"What do you want with him?" she demanded.   
"None of your business," Mary replied as she punched the woman in the stomach.   
"Okay," she moaned. "I'll do it." 

"Ring, ring, ring, phone call, phone call," the videophone beeped.   
Ash picked up the receiver, "Hello?"   
A familiar woman came on the screen. "Hi Ash, I'm Sabrina's mom."   
"Oh," Ash said recalling her now. "How is she?"   
The woman looked at something off and replied, "She's asleep right now."   
Turning back to Ash, "I called to invite you to a party for her."   
"Great," Ash said happily not noticing the look on the mother's face.   
"I call the others."   
"NO!" she shouted startling Ash. "I mean, I already called them."   
"All right," Ash replied. "How soon do I need to be in Saffron?"   
"As soon as possible," she answered.   
"I'll fly in on my Pidgeot," he informed.   
"Fine," she said with a weak smile.   
"See ya then," Ash said as he hung up.   
"Mom, I going off to Saffron to visit a friend," he shouted as he headed up to get his backpack.   
"Have fun, Ash," she called back from kitchen. 

Sabrina's mother hung up the phone. "He'll be here soon," she informed Team Rocket.   
"We had better get ready," Scott told them.   
Jeff chained up the mother next to the others and noticed they were about to walk. "Hey Scott," he called to the leader. "They're waking up."   
"Let them," Scott shouted. "They should see what we do to those that defy Team Rocket."


	7. Illusions of the Heart

"Thanks, Pidgeot," Ash said as he jumped off the bird pokémon's back.   
"Return."   
Ash had managed to get to Saffron just as the sun was about to set. Ash stepped inside the gym and was surprised by how empty it was.   
"Everybody else must be hiding to surprise Sabrina," he guessed as he and Pikachu walked down the dark hall. 

In the arena, Scott was meditating while Jeff and Mary were watching their hostages. "What are we going to do with them?" Jeff asked Mary.   
"The boss said no witnesses."   
"What exactly do you plan to do to Ash?" Sabrina spoke up with little emotion.   
"That's up to Scott," Mary replied to both questions.   
Scott suddenly looked up. "He's here," he told the others. "Mary, you know what to do."   
Mary smiled. "This will be fun." 

"Pikapi pikachu, (Ash, this isn't right)" Pikachu said as they walked down the hall.   
"I know, Pikachu," Ash replied as he looked around. "All these halls look the same."   
"Pi pikachu pi, (Great, you got us lost in a gym)" Pikachu complained.   
"Stop it," Ash told him. "You're starting to sound like Misty."   
"Pi pika pi chu, (I bet you'd love that)" Pikachu laughed.   
"What do you mean by that?" Ash demand.   
"Pi pika pikapi, (You like her, admit it)" Pikachu laughed as they took another turn.   
"I'll admit to nothing. Misty is a spoiled, big mouth, little brat who..." Ash broke when he saw someone in front of him.   
"Misty!" he yelled.   
"Ash, am I really that to you?" she asked. Ash could see the tears in her eyes.   
Ash felt lower than a Weedle. "Misty, I am sorry about saying that..."   
Misty ran off before Ash could finish.   
"Misty, come back," Ash called as he and Pikachu chased after her. When they went around the corner, they heard a door slam.   
"Pi pika, (I'll stay here)" Pikachu told Ash as they stood in front of the door.   
"Thanks, Pikachu," Ash said as he opened the door. 

Giovanni was going over some progress reports on possible breeding center targets when Scott called.   
"He's here, boss," Scott informed him. "What should we do with the others?"   
Giovanni thought about this for moment before giving him an answer.   
"After Ketchum is dealt with, wipe their memories. The psy-chains should allow you to do this."   
"And how should we deal with the boy?" Scott asked.   
Giovanni smiled. "I trust your judgment."   
"As you command," Scott said as he hung up.   
Giovanni smiled as he decided that he give Jessie and James another chance to redeem themselves. 

"Jessie, I'm tired of peeling onions," James complained.   
"Stop whining and start peeling," Meowth said as he cracked a whip over the two humans.   
"Meowth, why aren't you helping us," Jessie shouted.   
"Because I'm supervising," Meowth said with a huge grin.   
"Jessie, James," a woman in a black Rocket uniform said at the door.   
"The boss wants to speak with you."   
"Finally," Jessie said as she dropped the half-peeled onion.   
When Jessie, James, and Meowth came into Giovanni's office, they noticed that he had an unusual smile on his face.   
"Are you okay, boss?" Meowth hazard.   
"Never better," Giovanni replied. "That Ketchum boy will soon be dealt with, and you three get another chance."   
"You mean it," James said with stars in his eyes.   
"Yes." Giovanni handed them a folder about a breeding center in Hop Hop Hop Town.   
"They have a highly prized Hitmonchan there," Giovanni told them.   
"Bring it to me."   
"Right away, boss," the three said as the walked out. 

Ash walked into the room and saw Misty crying on the couch. "Leave me alone," she said to Ash.   
"Misty, I didn't mean it," Ash said as he sat down next her.   
She turned looked at looked trying to dry her tears. "Ash, how insensitive can you be?"   
Ash's guilt was getting harder and harder to deal with each minute.   
"Misty, I can't say how sorry I am about saying that," Ash said nearly choking after each word. _I need to tell her now,_ he thought.   
"Misty, I have some really important to tell you," he began nervously.   
"What is it, Ash?" Misty asked.   
Ash took her hand. "Misty, ever since that day you pulled me out the river," Ash paused and looked into her eyes, "I thought you are the most..."   
_This ain't right,_ Ash thought. _Her eyes are too green to be Misty's._   
"The most what, Ash?" she asked.   
Ash threw away her hand. "Who are you?" he demanded.   
The girl had a look of shock on her face. "Ash, what's wrong?"   
"You're not fooling me anymore," he said as he stood up. "You're not Misty, so who are you?"   
The girl smirked. "Not as dumb as we thought," she remarked as she began to glow.   
When light died down, Ash saw he was alone in the room. He walked out and saw Pikachu waiting for him.   
"Pi chu pika? (Where's Misty?)" Pikachu asked.   
"That wasn't her, Pikachu," Ash said worrying if the real Misty was here in trouble.   
"Come on," he said as he ran down the hall. "Let's find Sabrina."   
"Pika!" 

Mary appeared in the arena in front of Scott. "He was smarter than reported," Scott grimaced, "otherwise he wouldn't have discovered."   
"Or she's just slipping," Jeff snickered.   
"Listen," Mary yelled at Jeff, "this kid obviously has deep feelings for the girl. You can't hide from that for very long."   
"Still," Scott spoke as he stepped in between the two, "he will be here soon. We must be ready." 

In Cerulean, Misty was looking up at the stars. Her sisters were all out on dates leaving her at home with the pokémon. She did not care about being home alone, but she just spent too much time alone since she came home. At least on the road, she always had Ash.   
"Ash," she said to the stars over her, "I wonder if you are thinking about me."   
"Toki toki? (You miss Daddy?)" Togepi asked.   
"Yeah, I miss Ash," Misty sighed as she picked the egg.   
"Toki priii, (You like him a lot)" Togepi commented as she snuggled closer her mother.   
"Yes," Misty replied as she sat down on a bench and looked down her 'baby.'   
"Toki, (Tell him)" Togepi told her.   
Misty smiled at thought but shook herself out of it. "Someday," she whispered. 

Ash ran down the dark halls looking for the arena. With Pikachu beside he was confident that he could defeat whoever that 'Misty' was. He came up to the arena's door.   
"Ready, Pikachu?"   
"Pika!"   
"All right, let's go," he said as he opened the doors. 

The three psychics watched as the trainer came in. Jeff laughed when he saw Ash.   
"This is the guy the boss is all worked up about?" he laughed.   
Not hearing the comment. He stepped into the room and announced, "I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet."   
Suddenly the doors behind him slammed shut. Scott glared at him. "And we are the end of your journey," he stated while the others grinned.


	8. The Power That's Inside

Ash gritted when he heard the guy in the center say, "And we are the end of your journey."   
"Pikachu, go," Ash commanded.   
"Pika!" Pikachu shout as he entered the ring.   
"He wants a match," the girl laughed. Her eyes turned red, and Pikachu was slammed against a wall.   
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted as he ran to his fallen friend but was only half way there before he was flung against another wall.   
"Where do you think you're going?" the second boy said with his eyes like the girl.   
Ash was clinching his side hoping he had not broken anything. "Who are you?"   
"You're worst and last nightmare," the first boy said. "Team Rocket, Psychic Corp."   
"I challenge you to pokémon match," Ash shouted.   
"Fool," the first boy said. "This is not the Pokémon League."   
"Squirtle, I choose you," Ash said as he through a pokéball.   
"Squirtle!" he announced as he appeared from his pokéball.   
"Squirtle, use your water gun on Team Rocket," Ash commanded.   
Squirtle sent a stream of water at the psychics, but it was deflected by a light barrier.   
"What do you think about that, Mary?" the guy in the center asked the girl.   
"Pathetic, Scott," she said as her eyes turned red again, and Squirtle was sent spinning into a wall.   
"No!" Ash shouted as he followed Squirtle train in the air.   
"What are you going to do now?" the second guy mocked.   
Ash was now full of anger. Two of his best friends were unconscious by these three. "Squirtle, return. Pidgeot, go!"   
"Must we?" the second boy said as he threw a glance at the leader.   
"It's more fun to break his hope before we destroy him, Jeff," Scott reminded him.   
"Pidgeot, whirlwind."   
Again, the attack was deflected, but this time it took out Pidgeot. Pidgeot fell to ground, and Ash recalled her.   
"Are you going to continue this until all your pokémon are injured?"   
Scott said to the frustrated trainer. 

Sabrina had managed to get the gag out of mouth during the dust storm caused by Pidgeot's attack. "Run, Ash!" she yelled.   
Jeff turned around and looked at the struggling girl. "I think you need a better seat to see all the action."   
He walked over and dragged her next Scott. Ash was now scared for his life. If these three could capture Sabrina, he did not stand a chance.   
Scott was now done enjoying himself. "Time to end this," he said as his eyes turned red.   
Ash screamed in pain as a red field of light engulfed him. 

In Cerulean, Misty was walking to her room for bed when she heard a voice scream, "Misty!"   
Turning around with a puzzled look on her face, she said, "Ash?" 

Mary and Jeff laughed as they watched Ash frozen in place screaming.   
Sabrina stared with horror as she watched her friend dying before her eyes with her powerless to help him.   
"Stop it, you're killing him," she pleaded.   
"That's the idea," Jeff told her. "Don't worry, it won't last much longer."   
Mary looked up at Scott face. "He's straining too much," she said with concern.   
"And it's taking too long," Jeff agreed. Usually, this would take less than a moment.   
"Scott, stop it," Mary said looking at how much he was sweating. "His mind should be destroyed by now."   
Scott remained in this state for almost hour with Ash screaming until ten minutes had passed when he fainted. Finally both collapsed to ground. Sabrina's eyes never left Ash. He's still breathing, she thought.   
"Scott, are you okay?" Mary asked him.   
Breathing heavily, Scott panted, "Give me a minute."   
While Mary was with Scott, Jeff walked over to Ash. "He's still live," he said surprised by the trainer. "How could that happen? Even after four minutes he should be dead, and this guy survived an hour?"   
Scott managed to stand up but with legs like rubber. "So many barriers in his mind," Scott said as he gazed at his handiwork. "They trapped me in there."   
"Did you finish the job?" Jeff asked while eyeing Ash's jacket.   
"Don't know," Scott admitted. "With barriers so strong, I'm surprised he could think to begin with."   
"Well," Jeff replied, "I don't think he'll need that jacket either way." 

Ash felt trapped in the middle of a hurricane. He saw events that happened years ago appear in the storm.   
"It's a boy ... and a pokémon!" he heard one voice say.   
"Ash, remember to wear clean underwear," another called.   
"It's the loser from Pallet," a third said.   
Ash looked around and saw all the face of people he had known through the years. His mom, Gary, Professor Oak, Brock, Tracey, ... and Misty.   
As his thoughts began to center on Misty, the storm began to clear.   
_I'll never tell her I love her,_ he thought as a new figure emerged in storm, but it was someone he had never seen before. A woman about the age of his mother with long blond hair wearing a light blue dress.   
"Take my hand," she said gently to him.   
After complying, she told him to close his eyes. When he was told open them, he found himself in the Valley of Destiny.   
"How did I get here?" he asked.   
"You're not," she told him. "You are lying on the floor of Saffron City Gym."   
Ash began to think and was surprised he understood. The usually haze that had always filled his mind had disappeared.   
He then looked at the woman again and understood who she was. "You're Destiny, right?"   
She smiled. "Yes," she replied. "You must wake up and save your friends."   
She looked over at the horizon and frowned. "Another storm is coming," she said. "You must be ready."   
Ash looked at her and knew how she received her name. "I will be."   
She handed Ash a blue ball which disappeared once he touched it.   
"Now go," she said as the scene turned into blackness. 

As Jeff reached for the jacket, he was flung back to the other Rockets.   
"What just happened?" Mary demanded.   
The three looked at Sabrina who was just as surprised as them. All four then turned back to see Ash standing.   
"Impossible," Scott whispered.   
Ash's eye turned into a soft blue light. "The nightmare is now over," he stated.   
All three of the Rockets were flung to the wall and were held there.   
Ash looked down at Sabrina. Her chains began to glow and fell off her.   
He then looked over at her equally surprised parents whose chains fell off as well.   
"What are you going to do with them?" Sabrina's father asked.   
Ash looked back at the psy-chains. They flew and wrapped themselves around the now unconscious psychics. After the fell to the ground, Ash collapsed to the floor.   
"I'll call the police," Sabrina's mom said as she raced off to the phone.   
Ash weakly reached over to a pokéball on Mary's belt and opened it.   
"Haun haun!" the now free Haunter said.   
"Good to see you too," Ash whispered as the darkness once again took him. 

Ash woke up in the hospital surround by Sabrina, her parents, and his own mother. "What happened?" he asked weakly.   
"You've been unconscious for twelve hours," Sabrina replied. "Your mother has been here for about eight."   
"Have you contacted the others?" he asked as his strength was coming back.   
"No," his mother told him. "When they told me what happened, I told them not to tell."   
"Thank you," he said to her.   
"Why are you hiding this from your friends?" Sabrina's mother asked.   
"The boy has his reasons," her husband answered. "Let's leave it that."   
"How about my pokémon?" Ash asked.   
"Pidgeot is okay, but Squirtle and Pikachu are still in recovery," Sabrina answered. "Your other pokémon, Charizard, Snorlax, and Bulbasaur, need some rest along Pidgeot. That psychic attack on you had minor affects on them. They were all unconscious when you collapsed the first time."   
Sabrina looked over at Ash's mom. She nodded, and Sabrina asked, "When you're well enough, Ash, I would like to run a few test on you."   
Ash understood what she wanted. "To test if I'm really a psychic?"   
Sabrina's father blinked at Ash's questions. "You sure this is the same boy that brought you that Haunter?"   
Ash laughed. "Scott was right about them barriers," he told them.   
"You heard that?" Sabrina asked puzzled.   
"It more like I remember it," Ash told her.   
Ash looked up his mother. "Do mind if I talk with Mom alone?" he asked the others.   
"Sure," Sabrina's mother replied as she headed to the door.   
Before they had all left, Sabrina turned back to Ash. "Looks like I owe you one more, Ash."   
As soon as the door closed, he looked back at his mom. "I saw her," he whispered.   
"Who?"   
In an even softer voice, Ash whispered, "Destiny."


	9. Sabrina's Day Out

Giovanni was furious, and all of Team Rocket was feeling his pain, especially as they limped away from his office. Even his assistant Julie was not safe from his anger right now. As she was finishing up the report on Team Rocket's psychics and their memory lost, Jessie and James came into her office. They both had huge smiles on their faces.   
"We need to see the boss," Jessie told her.   
Julie looked up at the pair. "You been out for a while, haven't you?" she asked.   
"Yup," James replied. "We finally got a job done right."   
"Your funeral," Julie said as she informed her boss of the two.   
When Jessie and James entered the office, they could see their boss's mood had seriously changed since their last meeting. Even his Persian was cowering in corner of the room.   
"You had better have it," he told them.   
"Here you go," Jessie said hesitantly handing him the pokéball.   
When Giovanni released the pokémon, a confused Hitmonchan appeared.   
"Hitmonchan?" it questioned looking around.   
For the first time in a week Giovanni smirked. "Hitmonchan, return."   
Turning back at the two nervous teens, Giovanni said, "Good job."   
Relieved, Jessie and James replied, "Thank you, sir."   
"I'm going to give you two weeks of vacation," Giovanni told them. "I want you two rested for your next assignment."   
"Thank you," both responded with joy.   
Giovanni sighed as the left. "They may have never beaten him," he said to himself, "but at least they were never caught." 

Sabrina was going over the test results with a fine-toothed comb and was still confused. One test suggested that Ash was probably the most powerful psychic ever, but another said he had the psychic abilities of a normal human. The only ones that gave conclusive results were the aptitude tests.   
These results surprised her father who had always thought Ash was the densest trainer in the League, but with these results, Ash could almost be mistaken for having genius potential.   
There was a knock on the door. Sabrina looked up and saw her mother.   
"Honey," she said with concern, "you've been cooped up in here too long."   
"Sorry, Mom," Sabrina replied. "It's just these results are so strange."   
"Well," she told her daughter, "maybe you should observe your test subject."   
She pointed out the window. Sabrina looked outside and saw Ash playing with his pokémon.   
"If what you told me so far is right," her mother continued, "the most intelligent person in the world just wants to have fun right now. You should try it."   
Sabrina put down her papers and hugged her mother. "Thanks, Mom." 

"All right Bulbasaur, you're it," Ash shouted to the pokémon. "And no using your vine whip."   
"Bulbasaur bulba? (Where's the fun in that?)" Bulbasaur laughed as he chased Pikachu.   
Off to the side, Pidgeot, Charizard, and Snorlax were cheering the others on.   
"(Get Ash, Bulbasaur)" Charizard roared.   
"Snor snorlax (No, Squirtle)" Snorlax called.   
The others laughed as Bulbasaur managed to tackle Pikachu.   
"Pi pikapi, (Watch out, Ash)" Pikachu shouted.   
"Catch me if you can," Ash replied as he ran from his friend.   
After about half-hour, they were too tired to run anymore. Pidgeot was fanning them off as Charizard went inside to get them something to drink.   
"That was fun," Ash said as he took a glass from Charizard. "Thanks."   
"(No problem)" Charizard grunted. Ever since that battle with Poliwrath, Charizard had been acting more like his old self, Charmander.   
Ash laid down on his back and looked up at the clouds. He had been here Saffron for about two weeks now. He had a hard time lying to his pokémon about what happened with Team Rocket. He was lucky they were all unconscious when he defeated them. He simply told them Sabrina had managed to get free and saved them.   
"Having fun?" a voice asked.   
Ash sat up and saw Sabrina and Haunter next to him. "Hi," he replied.   
Sabrina bent down and whispered into his ear, "We need to talk."   
"All right," Ash answered. Turning back to his pokémon, he told them he would be back in a minute.   
When they were in Sabrina's room, they began to talk.   
"The test results are still coming out garbled," Sabrina told him.   
Ash looked out the window and saw his pokémon taking a nap outside. "I need to be moving on," he replied.   
He turned back to Sabrina. "Thank you for covering for me," he said to the psychic.   
"You did save my gym," Sabrina replied thinking about how she wiped the memory of those Rocket psychics. "It was the least I could do."   
Ash smiled. He and Sabrina had become really good friends over the last two weeks. "Well, from what you do know, what's your opinion on my condition?" he asked.   
Sabrina shook her head. "You're could be a normal person or a very powerful psychic," she answered. "Either way, you almost have the IQ of a genius."   
Ash laughed at being called a genius. "I'm sure Misty would disagree with you on that one."   
"My dad still can't believe that either," Sabrina agreed.   
Ash looked over to her videophone. It had been a while since he last talked to Misty or his other friends. "Sabrina, mind if I make a few calls?"   
"Go ahead," Sabrina said as she left. 

"I did it!" Lily shouted as her Seadra took down Misty's Starmie.   
"Good job," Misty congratulated her older sister. "Since you and Violet are now almost as good as me, I can leave."   
"Misty, do have to, like, leave again?" Lily asked.   
"I told you I couldn't stay for long," Misty sighed.   
"It's that boy, isn't it," Lily smirked.   
"Me and Ash, please," Misty denied.   
"Actually, I was referring to Brock," Lily laughed. "So you do like Ash!"   
Misty was tempted to use her mallet on her sister when Daisy told her she had a call.   
When she walked up to the videophone, she saw Ash on the screen.   
"Ash," she said as soon as she at the phone, "where have you been?"   
Every time I called you, your mom said you were out."   
"Sorry, Misty," Ash apologized. "I've been in Saffron for two weeks helping Sabrina."   
"What have you been doing?" Misty asked.   
"Just taking some tests," Ash replied.   
"Trying to figure out how dumb you really are?" Misty mocked.   
"Real funny," Ash replied.   
"Misty," Lily said from behind her, "tell your boyfriend about the party."   
Turning to her sister, she yelled, "He's not my boyfriend!"   
Daisy, who had been reading a magazine in the room, looked at her little sister. "Then why are you, like, blushing?" she asked.   
Before she could return the comment, Ash spoke up. "What party?"   
"Oh," Misty said while turning back to the videophone, "they throwing a costume part next week."   
"Great," Ash said. "Can I come?"   
"Sure," Misty said. "Just be sure to bring a costume. It's next Tuesday."   
"I'll be there," Ash told her. "What about Brock and Tracey?"   
"They can't come," Misty sighed.   
"Oh, well," Ash replied. "I'll head out today."   
"Try not to get lost," Misty laughed.   
"Hey, I never got us..." Ash was cut off when Misty hung up. 

Ash turned off the phone and walked outside to his pokémon. "All right guys, time to go."   
After returning all his pokémon to their pokéballs, Ash went inside to see if Sabrina knew of any costume shops in Saffron.   
"Sorry, Ash," Sabrina answered. "I never been out shopping."   
Hearing this, Sabrina's mom said, "No daughter of mine will not be a shop-oholic."   
Sabrina's dad sighed. "Looks like I'm going to need to get another job." 

After an hour of looking in a mall, Ash finally found a costume he liked, but it was missing something.   
"I have it," Sabrina said who was really getting into shopping.   
She went over to a wall covered with masked. Picking one out that matched Ash's costume, she brought it to him.   
"That's it," Ash agreed with her choice. "Now I have the perfect costume."   
"It'll knock her out, Ash," Sabrina laughed. "Now, let's go get some stuff for me." 

After another hour, Ash carried Sabrina's purchases back to her gym.   
_How do I always end up like this,_ he thought. He thought back to some of the things Brock told him when they went shopping with Misty. _I'm just too nice for my own good._   
After he was packed up, he went and told Sabrina and her parents good-bye.   
"Thanks for showing me how to have a good time," Sabrina said as Ash was leaving.   
"Just remember to pace yourself," Ash said surprising at how smart he was becoming. "Too much of anything can be bad for you." 

Ash looked at the trail before. At the other end was the girl of his dreams and the promise of a future with her.   
"Come on, Pikachu," Ash said as he ran down the path.   
"Pikapi chu! (Wait up, Ash!)" 


	10. A Prince for Misty

"So, Misty," Daisy said as the four sisters entered the store, "like, what are you going as to the party?"   
"I don't know yet," Misty replied as she browsed through the racks.   
"Violet, Daisy, over here," Lily yelled from another corner of the store. "I found the perfect costumes."   
"Like, what is it, Lily?" Violet asked.   
Lily pulled the three costumes off the rack. "We'll, like, go as the three Musketeers."   
"Uh, aren't those boys' costumes?" Misty asked.   
"Not if we wear them," Lily replied as she and her sisters headed to the changing room leaving Misty to search.   
"I wonder what Ash will wear?" Misty thought as she moved to another rack. "Probably some pokémon outfit."   
She looked out the display window of the store and saw something she wanted. In the store across the mall was a light blue dress being displayed in the window. Leaving the costume shop, she went over and looked at it. It was made of silk and looked like it belonged to a princess. Suddenly, she got the idea for her costume.   
"Ma'am, may I try on that dress?" she asked the store clerk.   
"Sure thing," the clerk replied as she took it out of the window.   
When Misty slipped it on, it was a perfect fit. In the dress she began to feel like she did when she won the Princess Festival.   
"I'll take it," she told the clerk.   
After she walked out of the clothing store, Misty walked back to the costume store where her three sisters were waiting.   
"Misty, like, where have you been?" Violet asked.   
"I went and got a costume from the boutique instead," she replied.   
"Oo, let's see," Lily squealed.   
When Misty opened the box, her sister admired the dress.   
"You know, Misty," Daisy told her as she pulled her little sister to the costume jewelry section of the store. "You're going to need some accessories."   
Misty realized what she meant. She looked in a display case and picked a crown to match her dress. With this final touch, Misty now had her costume. 

Ash and Pikachu were making good time getting to Cerulean. With two days to make a day and a half journey. The stopped in a little town called Court Village. While his pokémon rested at the center, Ash went to a mall nearby.   
While looking for anything interesting, he came to a music store.   
Hoping to find a good CD or two, he walked in a noticed a big poster on the wall.   
"The Pallet Town Music Festival!" he shouted when he saw it. "It's time already?"   
Turning to the surprised clerk, he asked when the festival began.   
"In about four weeks," he replied.   
"Thanks," Ash said as he ran back to the Pokémon Center. 

"Come on, Misty," a blonde-hair Musketeer called. "The guest will be here soon."   
"In a minute," Misty yelled back.   
Daisy, Lily, and Violet waited in the den for their little sister's appearance.   
"Well, what do you think?" voice behind them said.   
The three turned around and were shocked by what they saw. Misty was standing in her dress with her 'diamond' crown sparkled the light against her orange-red hair.   
"Maybe we should, like, call ourselves the Four Sensational Sisters after all," Daisy replied.   
"Shouldn't we be going to the gym?" Misty asked her still stunned sisters.   
"Right," Lily said shaking the surprise off. "Let's get going." 

"I can't believe I got us lost just one mile from the gym," Ash said to himself as he wondered the streets of Cerulean.   
"Pikapi chu, (At least you're admitting it)" Pikachu sighed.   
"I guess there's no one else to blame," Ash responded. "There's the Pokémon Center."   
"Pi pikachu? (Mind if I stay here?)" Pikachu asked. He wanted to give Ash some time to be alone with Misty.   
"Sure," Ash answered. "I just get a room and changed. Then I'll head to the gym."   
Misty wandered through the crowd looking for Ash. So far she had not seen him, but she could tell who he might be until she talked with everybody.   
_I wonder if he will recognize me in a dress?_ she wondered. _It's not like I normally wear one._   
Suddenly she recognized a laugh she heard above the crowd. Looking at where it came from, she saw a pirate surrounded by several girls dressed in pokémon costumes. "Gary Oak," she murmured when she saw the face. "If Ash is here, he would be talking to him."   
Though Ash and Gary were not friends, far from it actually, they generally tended to group together. Being rivals, they also wanted to make fun of the other, but usually Ash was left with a bruised ego.   
"So then, I used my Nidoking on his Golem," he boasted to the crowd. "Nidoking did his job, and the gym leader recalled his worthless pokémon."   
Misty laughed remembering the story. "Hey, Gary," she jeered. "How about tell them how Ash and I found you afterwards?"   
"Huh?" Gary asked looking for whom said it. "Who are you?"   
"It's me, Misty," she told him.   
"What?! You're that loser Ash's girlfriend?" Gary shouted. "You look different. How about leaving the twerp and joining my team?"   
Misty had a disgusted look on her face. "First I'm not his girlfriend," Misty told him stepping closer. "Second, if anyone is a loser, it's you, Gary. Remember Ash did get the Earth Badge."   
"And third," Misty said almost right on top of him, "I would never join your flock of flakes if you paid me."   
"But he does pay us," the one dressed like a Squirtle said.   
"Yeah," agreed the Charmander. "Twenty dollars a day plus he pays for our food and outfits."   
Gary was really annoyed at being embarrassed by Misty. Looking at the bowl of punch, an idea popped into his mind.   
"Misty," he said as he picked up the bowl, "you need to cool off."   
Gary then dumped the bowl on her. After the initial shock wore off, Misty looked down at her dress and started to cry. She had never owned anything liked this before, and the first time she wears it, it is ruined.   
She ran out of the gym while Gary was laughing at the pain he caused. Unfortunately for him, the crowd did not find it funny.   
"You, jerk!" Daisy shouted when she saw Misty running out. "Get out of my gym this instant!"   
Gary looked and saw three vary angry Musketeers with a good size mob behind him. "How needs this party?" he said with a slight stutter. "Come on girls."   
His cheerleader squad looked at each other. They fought what he did was cruel too, but Gary was a good way to get some expense clothes and jewelry. They decided to follow him out to car outside.   
After they left the gym, Daisy turned back to her sisters. "I'm going after Misty," she told them. "I think she might, like either go to Mom and Dad or to that spot in the park. You two try and keep the party going for us until we get back."   
"Try the park first," Violet told her. "She hasn't been to their grave since the funeral so, likem she probably won't go there."   
"Okay," Daisy said as she left the gym. 

Misty ran through the night with her tears trailing behind her. She was running so fast that she did not notice someone had been following her since she left the gym. Not paying attention to the path either, she tripped on a fallen tree branch and fell into a mud puddle caused by last night's rain.   
Now covered in mud, she just remained there and cried until she had no more tears left.   
"Are you okay, miss..." a voice said behind.   
"Go away," she snapped not wanting anyone to see her.   
She felt something touch his check. She turned and saw a white handkerchief by her. "Here," the voice the told her. "At least take this."   
Taking the handkerchief, Misty wiped the tears from eyes. She looked up at her benefactor. He was boy about her age dressed like a prince. He had a gold mask that covered most of his face.   
Offering her his hand, she at first refused it. "I don't want to ruin your outfit," she told him.   
"Don't worry about it," he said as he left his hand out for her.   
Misty was beginning to feel better being with this young man. He had a gentle voice which calmed her.   
"Come on," he told her. "Don't you have a party to attend?"   
"But my dress?" Misty plead.   
"What's wrong with your dress?" he asked with his head turned away from her.   
Misty's anger was about to get the better of her. "Do you honestly think I went to the party as a swamp mon..." She stopped when she looked down at her dress. The mud and punch stains were gone, and her dress was fully restored.   
"How?" she asked.   
"Come on, miss," the 'prince' said as he led her back to the gym.   
Daisy was coming up to the park when she saw a couple heading towards her. She recognized the girl as Misty and decided to leave the two alone.   
"I hope she doesn't, like hurt Ash," she told herself as she went back to the party. 

Misty was clinging to her prince's arm when they came back to the gym.   
"I can't stay long," he told her as they went in.   
"Just one dance?" she pleaded.   
He smiled at her. "One dance then," he replied.   
When they were inside, they were greeted by an applauding audience. Misty blushed at the attention and felt the boy cringe a bit.   
"You're, like, glad you came back," Lily said to her sister.   
"Who's your friend?" Violet asked looking at the boy.   
"Just someone who cares," he replied with a smile.   
He turned to Misty and asked, "You said something about a dance?"   
"A dance!" Lily shouted. "We, like, haven't had a slow song yet."   
Daisy looked at her little sister. "Are you sure about this?"   
"Yes," Misty said looking at the boy's face. _He has eyes like Ash,_ she thought. _No, he can't be Ash. He's way too romantic to be him._   
As the two walked to the dance floor, the lights began to dim. Misty and her prince began to dance once the music started. Misty felt as if she were in heaven. _Imagine the 'runt' dancing with a 'prince,'_ she thought as they danced across the floor.   
When the music ended, the boy pulled away. "I must go," he told her.   
"Please stay," she asked as he vanished out the door.   
When she went out side she found a red rose and a note saying:   
_I'll always remember the night I danced with a princess. If you ever need me, I'll be there._   
He did not leave a name, and Misty found she had one more tear left.   
"But I need you now," she whispered. 

The next morning Misty heard a knock on the door. When she answered it, there stood Ash and Pikachu.   
"Good morning, Misty," Ash said when she opened the door. "How was the party..."   
"Ash Ketchum," Misty interrupted. "Where were you last night?"   
Ash looked down at his feet and murmured something under his breath.   
"What was that?" Misty demanded. "I didn't hear you."   
"I was lost," Ash shouted back. "After I left Pikachu at the Pokémon Center, I got lost trying to find the gym."   
Misty was really getting angry. "You must be the biggest moron in the world if you couldn't even find a gym when you are only five blocks from it!"   
"Stop it, Misty," Daisy called from behind. "The poor boy probably spent, like, half the night on the streets."   
"Fine," Misty conceded. "So, where's your costume, Ash?"   
"I mailed it back to Pallet before I came here," he told her.   
"So, when are we leaving?" Misty asked.   
"You're coming back with me?!" Ash shouted.   
"Yes," she told him. "Someone has to make sure you don't lose your way."   
"Great!" Ash shouted. "We'll get back in time for the music festival."   
"Pallet has a music festival?" Misty asked.   
"Like, sure," Daisy said. "It's the biggest music concert around."   
"Plus there's a competition," Ash added.   
"And I suppose, you're going to enter?" Misty jeered.   
"No," Ash replied, "but you should. I bet you could win the soloist division."   
Misty was surprised at Ash's confidence in her. "You really think so?"   
"Yeah," Ash told her enthusiastically . "You just need a good song."   
"Misty," Daisy whispered to her sister, "you should, like, sing that song of yours."   
"I can't sing that," Misty told her.   
"Why not?"   
Misty looked at Ash. After last night, she told herself that her heart belonged to the boy that saved her and here was Ash. She wrote the   
song for him but never sang it to him, but if her heart belonged to someone else, would the song also belong to him?   
"All right, I will sing it," she told her older sister.   
Turning to Ash, she told him to wait while she packed her things. When she went upstairs and Ash was left Pikachu, the little pokémon looked up at his master and asked, "Pi pikachupi? (Where were you last night, Ash?)"   
"Where do you think, Pikachu?"   
"Pi pika! (Tell her!)"   
"I will," Ash said smiling while Misty was coming downstairs with her bag and Togepi, "when I am ready


	11. Return to the Past

"Mom," Ash yelled as he and Misty walked into the house, "we're home."   
"I'm in the den," she called back. "Tracey's here too."   
When Ash and Misty walked into the room, Ash's mouth dropped when he saw her flipping through a picture album.   
"And here's Ash when he was four," Ash's mother told Tracey who was trying not to laugh. "He thought that he could take on a mankey and ended up stuck in that tree until Michael got him out of it."   
"Ash sure did have a lot of contact with pokémon when he was little," Tracey remarked since half of the pictures had some type of pokémon.   
"I guess that comes from being in a family of trainers," Mrs. Ketchum shrugged. "His father and grandfather were both trainers as well as his godfather."   
"It's amazing that even though he knew so many pokémon growing up, he doesn't know that much about them now," Misty commented as she sat down next the Mrs. Ketchum.   
"Oh," Mrs. Ketchum said as she got and pulled down an older album. "I found this when I was in the attic yesterday. It has some pictures of Michael when he was young trainer."   
The first picture of a boy that looked almost like Ash holding a pokéball. The next was the same boy with a charmander.   
"That's Redd," she said pointing to the pokémon. "He was Michael's first pokémon."   
"Where's Redd now?" Tracey asked.   
"Michael released most of his pokémon when Ash was born," she answered.   
"He wanted them to create families of their own."   
"That's sweet," Misty sighed.   
Turning to Ash, she hit him with a pillow from the couch. "Why can't you be more like that?"   
"I released Butterfree, didn't I?" he replied looking at his father's picture.   
"Who's that at the bottom, Mom?"   
"I don't quite remember," she replied. "I didn't meet your father until nine years after this picture was taken."   
She carefully took the picture from the album to see if a name was written on the back. "Gio, 10 yr. old," she read. "Must have been a friend of your father's."   
"I don't think so Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said pointing at another picture. It was Michael and Gio ready to get into a fistfight.   
Ash flipped the page and looked at the first picture. It was his father and another boy who looked a bit older. "Do know who this is?"   
"Yes," she said with a smile. "That's John. He was Michael's best friend."   
Turning to Ash, she continued, "He was to your father like Brock or Tracey is to you. He was just like a brother to him. That's why he was your godfather."   
Misty looked at the picture and stared for a moment. "He looks so familiar," she said.   
"You are from Cerulean, right?" Mrs. Ketchum asked. "John was the gym leader there for a number of years."   
"Do you have an older picture of him?" Misty asked.   
"Sure," she told her. She flipped to the end of the book. "Here's the picture when John got married."   
"Daddy?!" Misty shouted. 

Giovanni looked out the window of the airport terminal. He usually did not go out in public these days, but time changes all things. What was once a petty rivalry had turned into a blood feud, and what was meant to be just a simple job turned out to be more complex.   
Three separate teams had failed to eliminate the Ketchum with only one avoiding capture. They were currently on leave, but that too would soon end. Endings, Giovanni had never thought that much about time until his past returned.   
_Growing up in Viridian was hard enough with out that Michael Ketchum around. He was always the most popular, most talented, most everything back then,_ he thought as the plane he was waiting for arrived. _But he is gone now, and I remained._   
Michael's death had bigger influence on Giovanni than he cared to admit. Even though he had ordered the hit, he felt a piece of him die with Michael. It was if the rivalry between the two was just like any form of friendship.   
_Friends,_ he laughed to himself. _What good are friends? Michael couldn't even save his best friend from me._   
John Waterflower was as much a nuisance as Ketchum. When Giovanni first took over the Viridian City Gym, they both opposed it saying he was too cruel to his pokémon. He recalled the day he was granted control: 

"You can't be serious, sir," Michael questioned Ryan, the head of the Elite Four.   
"Michael," Ryan replied, "I know you have some issues with Gio, but he is an excellent pokémon trainer."   
"But he just uses them," Michael pleaded. "He doesn't really care for them."   
"That's enough, Michael," Ryan said with a voice of authority. "Gio will be the new Viridian Gym leader."   
When Ryan walked off leaving Michael in the hallway, Gio sneered back at him. "Guess you can't always get your way, Mr. Pokémon Master."   
"Gio, I know you're up to something," the nineteen year old replied. "And once I find out what, I am taking you down."   
Gio laughed. "Go ahead and try."   
As Gio too left Michael, he turned to the older man and younger boy next him. "Don't worry, Mike," the younger said. "Gio can't always win."   
"I guess you're right, Lance," Michael sighed. "I just hate to see people like that become official gym leaders."   
"It takes all types," the young man said. "Maybe Gio isn't as bad as you think."   
"No, John," Michael told him. "I talked with his meowth. He has put several of his pokémon through conditions not even trainers like Private Surge would do."   
Lance wanted to change the subject off Gio. "So, when is your wedding, John."   
"In about two months," John replied with a smile. "Emily is so beautiful. I can't wait until will be together forever."   
"Wish I could find someone like that," Michael said with regret.   
"Don't worry, Michael," the junior trainer replied. "If a guy like John can get a girl, so can you."   
"Thanks," John muttered under his breath. 

__

Fools, Giovanni thought as the passengers left the plane. _Forever was only ten years in John's case. Without such a petty thing as love, I out lived both of those fools._   
Finally, the man Giovanni had been waiting for had arrived. Walking up to him, he asked for the package.   
"Where's my money?" the man asked.   
"In this bag," Giovanni said showing a dufflebag in his hand.   
"Well, here is the artifact," the man said handing a small brown bag to Giovanni.   
"And here is your payment."   
The man took the bag from Giovanni, "It has been a pleasure doing business with you."   
"I'm sure it has," Giovanni muttered as he walked away with his package.   
_It's amazing that fools have such uses,_ Giovanni thought as he walked to a limo waiting for him.   
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small electrical device.   
Pushing the button on it, a small explosion was heard from the over side of the parking lot. _Fortunately, they are very expendable._

"You're Jonathan Waterflower's girl?" Mrs. Ketchum asked Misty.   
"Yes," she answered staring at the picture. She could not believe that her and Ash's fathers had been best friends.   
"Well, I guess it figures," Tracey's said trying to find the family resemblance. "You and Ash are real close, too."   
Misty and Ash looked at each other then turned away. "Where ever did you get that idea, Tracey?" Misty huffed.   
"And you call yourself a watcher," Ash added.   
"Cut it out you two," Tracey told them. "The very fact that you two can come up with an insult like that proves my point."   
Both Misty and Ash blushed at this comment.   
"Any way," Mrs. Ketchum said noticing their embarrassment. "Are either of you going into this year's music competition?"   
"I'm thinking about singing," Misty replied. "I don't think we want the people of Pallet to suffer from Ash's voice anymore than we have to."   
"Misty," Mrs. Ketchum replied about to defend her son, "I know Ash cannot sing, but he has already..."   
"Shown that I'm a good pokémon trainer," Ash interrupted.   
Mrs. Ketchum looked at her son in disbelief. Ash had won the instrumentalist division twice before he left for his pokémon journey. He had picked up the pokéflute soon after his father died. It seemed that learning to play it was his mourning.   
"What song are you going to sing?" Tracey asked.   
"Just something I wrote once," Misty replied. "My sisters once found someone to make a soundtrack for it, so I'll have music for it."   
"Can we hear it before the competition?" Ash asked.   
"No, I want it to be a surprised," Misty told them.   
Tracey looked up at the clock on the wall. "I better be going."   
"Thanks for coming by, Tracey," Mrs. Ketchum said as the pokémon watcher headed to the door.   
"Thank you, Mrs. Ketchum," he replied, "for showing me that picture of Ash in that sailor suit."   
"Let me see," Misty said to Ash's mother. "Aw, how cute! It even has a lapras on the front."   
Luckily, Ash had came prepared for such an event as this. "Misty, you should see this picture Daisy gave me."   
Ash had Misty's full attention. "Which one?" she gulped.   
Ash smirked. "Does it really matter?"   
Misty went from 0 to 60 in less time than Snorlax could eat a hamburger. "Give me that picture?" she shouted as she chased Ash up the stairs.   
"Oh, but the one Lily gave is just so precious," Ash added as he ducked under one of swings. "Still, Violet has good taste when it comes to photographs."   
In the den, Mrs. Ketchum started rubbing the back of Pikachu's neck. "Young love," she sighed.   
"Pika," Pikachu sighed in agreement. 


	12. A New Song

Misty sighed as she wondered through the crowd. Since the vocalist competition was not until tomorrow, she thought that she would spend the day with Ash listening to the instrumentalists. Unfortunately, Ash had left before she woke up. _Sometimes, I just want to kill that boy,_ she thought as she shoved her way through the crowd.   
"At least I can go listen to the instrumentals today," she said as she looked at the schedule for the day. "I'm sure Ash is grateful he can skip out on that." 

Jigglypuff stared at the large crowd. _What a big audience,_ she thought as she entered the festival grounds. 

"I finally made it," Brock sighed as he came into Pallet Town. He had hiked from Pewter when he heard about the music festival.   
"Hey, Brock," a voice from behind called.   
Brock turned and saw Tracey running down the road. "Tracey," Brock greeted, "how have you been?"   
"I love working with Professor Oak," Tracey replied. "He really knows all there is to know about pokémon?"   
"And I always thought he was an air-head," Brock muttered under his breath.   
"Come on," Tracey said while ignoring Brock's remark, "we'll miss the festival." 

Misty sat down in one of the pavilions. The soloist competition was about to begin, and she wanted to listen to the violinists.   
After the pain in her ears stopped from the horrible trombone player, a trumpeter nice blues melody that Misty enjoyed. Next were a couple of clarinet and guitar players, but Misty was growing impatient waiting for violinists.   
"Pika?"   
Misty turned and saw Pikachu next to her. "Hey, Pikachu," she greeted as the pokémon leaped into her lap. "Where's Ash?"   
"Pikapi," he answered.   
_I wish I could understand that,_ Misty sighed as she began to rub Pikachu's back. She had left Togepi with Mrs. Ketchum since she probably would have enjoyed this as much as Ash.   
"Our next competitor will be playing the pokéflute," the announcer stated as the fifth guitarist exited the stage.   
"Hopefully, this one can actually play the thing," Misty grumbled. The other pokéflute players had been so bad that she swore that she would break the next one she saw. Pikachu laughed at her comment.   
Misty prepared herself for another eardrum shattering event when she saw the boy on stage. He wore a blue suit, but what caught her eye was the gold mask on his face.   
"It's him," she sighed as hearts appeared in her eyes. Pikachu noted her reaction and was tempted to give her a small thundershock until the boy began to play.   
The song filled the pavilion with its mournful melody, and its affect was apparent on the faces of the listeners. Even the most stone-faced judges fought to keep the tears back. When the song ended there was moment of silence followed by roar of applause.   
"Thank you," the boy whispered as he bowed and started to walk off the stage.   
Many members of the audience were calling for an encore, but the announcer told them that was not the policy of the festival. "You can ask the boy to play on his own time," he said as the masked boy finished walking down the steps into the audience.   
Misty tried to reach her former dance partner, but he disappeared when he exited the pavilion. Misty sighed as she went back in to listen to the rest of competitors. "I don't even know his name," she again sighed as she sat down.   
"Pi pika," Pikachu replied with a grin on his face. 

"Jiggly," Jigglypuff cried as she was almost trampled in the crowd. She had been searching for a stage for an hour but had only found the small pavilions. She had performed in two but still had not found someone to appreciate her singing.   
_Maybe if I sing to a larger audience,_ she thought, _someone will stay awake._

"Brock, I want to go to the orchestra pavilion," Tracey told his older friend.   
"All right," Brock replied as the two wondered around the various pavilions. "But we are going to see if any of the rock bands are playing this afternoon."   
"Sorry, Brock," Tracey said as he looked around for the orchestra pavilion. "All vocal groups are tomorrow."   
"Fine," Brock sighed. 

"What have you discovered?" Giovanni asked the scientist in front of him.   
"It is a very interesting artifact, sir," the scientist replied. "It seems to be some sort of pokémon capturing device."   
"Did it contain anything?"   
"No, sir," he answered. "It seems to be damaged, but we have discovered that it could hold even the most resistant pokémon."   
"Can you modify a pokéball to have this property?" Giovanni asked.   
"Possibly," the scientist replied, "but that could take months of research."   
"Then effective immediately you stop all other projects and focus on this one," Giovanni informed him.   
"Yes, sir." 

Brock and Tracey were lost among the different pavilions. Brock was scrutinizing over the map of the festival while Tracey was listening to different types of music coming from the pavilions.   
"Chalk another mark to your great sense of direction," Tracey laughed when Brock realized he had been holding the map upside-down.   
"Don't you even start," Brock warned him.   
Tracey turned back to the pavilions when he saw Misty and Pikachu coming out of one.   
"Misty," Tracey called to her. "Over here."   
Brock and Tracey ran up to her. "Nice to see you two again," she smiled. "Have you seen Ash?"   
"No, but you should keep better tabs on your boyfriend," Brock laughed but was cut off as a mallet crashed down on his skull.   
"He is not my boyfriend!" she shouted.   
"Pika!" Pikachu laughed.   
"And don't you start," Misty warned the pokémon.   
"Cha," he sighed. 

Jigglypuff finally found the center of festival area where a large stage had been built for the final performances of the competition winners. The work crew on the stage were going through a sound test when Jigglypuff leaped up to the microphone.   
"Get away from there," one of the men shouted.   
Ignoring him, Jigglypuff began her song. 

As the three trainers continued to talk, they heard a familiar tune.   
"Oh no," Misty yawned. "Not Jigglypuff."   
"So tired," Brock said as he collapsed on the ground. 

After finishing her song, Jigglypuff opened her eyes and saw everyone at the festival asleep.   
"Jiggly," she said as she blew herself up. He pulled the top of her 'mike' and ran to the first sleeping body she could find, but before she drew on his face, she heard clapping.   
"Puff?" she said as she looked around for where it was coming from.   
A boy with a gold mask walked onto the stage still clapping. "That was beautiful."   
"Jiggly? (Really?)" Jigglypuff asked with joy.   
"How about a duet?" the boy asked her.   
The boy pulled out his pokéflute and played a few shrill notes waking the crowd.   
"Now let's try," he told the pokémon.   
"Jiggly," she replied.   
She began to sing again, but with the awakening power of the pokéflute, her song did not cause the audience to fall asleep. 

Misty listened to the music coming from the stage and saw the boy with Jigglypuff. _Now is my chance,_ she thought. She pushed her way through the crowd.   
"Misty, wait up," her friends called, but she ignored them as she headed to stage.   
The crowd cheered when the couple finished. Jigglypuff was ecstatic from the applause.   
"Jiggly," she said as she waved to her 'fans.'   
"Jiggly jigglypuff? (Mind if I join you?)" she asked her partner.   
"Sure," he replied as he pulled out a pokéball.   
"Jigglypuff puff jig, (Finally, someone who understands)" she said as she disappeared into the pokéball.   
He picked up the pokéball and was about to leave when a voice cried out to him. "Wait."   
He turned and smiled as Misty came up to the stage. "Please don't go," she plied. "I want to know who you are."   
"I'll be back to hear you sing," he told her.   
"And tomorrow I sing for you," she replied. She did not noticed he shuttered when she said that.   
"Tomorrow then," he told her as he disappeared into the crowd. 

Misty and Pikachu came back to the Ketchum residence around four that afternoon. She was tired and wanted to practice for tomorrow. _I have to be perfect for him,_ she thought as she went upstairs to the guestroom.   
She saw Ash's was door open and peeked in to see if he was back. The room was empty except for a large opened box on the bed. Curious about it, Misty and Pikachu went into the room. When Misty looked into the box, she was shock at what she found.   
"Oh my," she exclaimed as she pulled out a gold mask which was lying on top of a prince costume.


	13. Love Unmasked

Misty lied on her bed while a thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but two kept repeating over and over. Did Ash love her, and did she love him?   
After seeing that mask in his room, she carefully placed it back in the box and went to her room to think. It had been two hours since then, but she was still confused. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.   
"Misty?" Ash asked from the other side. "Are you there?"   
"Come in, Ash," she replied as she sat up.   
Ash came in with a smile on his face. "How was the festival?" he asked as he sat down next to her.   
"Interesting," she answered. "I heard the most wonderful song by a pokéflute."   
"You mean when Jigglypuff showed up?"   
"Actually," Misty replied, "it was before then."   
"Can't say I sorry I missed it," Ash said. "I never liked the amateur competitions, so I usually just listen the finalist play."   
"If I did that with pokémon matches, I would never see you," Misty teased.   
"I'm a professional," Ash snapped back. "I am the Orange League Champion, after all."   
"So, Mr. Pokémon Master," Misty replied, "if you are such a professional, how come half your badges were given to you in pity?"   
"I earned all my badges fair-n-square," Ash said as he jumped off the bed.   
"As I recall," Misty snapped, "my sisters just gave you the badge."   
"Not this again," Ash sighed. "I would challenge you to a match, but I'm sure you need to practice your song for tomorrow."   
"Your right," Misty agreed. "I wouldn't want to end up like you did at the Pokémon League Championships."   
Seeing the conversation was going against him, Ash decided on the smart thing to do. "I'm going back to festival," he told as he left her standing by the bed. "See you, later."   
After he closed the door, Misty went back to thinking. _Maybe he doesn't love me._

Ash walked downstairs and saw Pikachu playing peek-a-boo with Togepi.   
Togepi was laughing as Pikachu 'disappeared' behind his paws.   
"Hi, you two," Ash said as he sat on the couch.   
"Pikapi pika? (Where you upstairs with Misty?)" Pikachu asked.   
"Yeah," he sighed. "We had another fight."   
"Cha. (You must've lost)"   
"How would you know?" Ash grumbled.   
"Pi pikachu pi, (You're the one who ran away)" he laughed.   
"Guess you're right," Ash sighed. "I'm heading to festival, want to come?"   
"Pi pika, (No thanks)" Pikachu replied.   
"See you at dinner then," Ash told the pokémon. 

The next morning, Ash and Misty met up with Brock and Tracey at the festival. Misty 's competition was the first one, so there were few people there. Ash, Brock, and Tracey kept Pikachu and Togepi while they waited for Misty to perform.   
"Our next piece will be performed by Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City," the announced said to audience.   
Misty stepped up to the microphone. Her three friends were growing impatient because they wanted to hear her song. Misty looked at them but kept her eyes on Ash as she began to sing. 

__

Here we stand together, maybe until forever,   
_But still we're apart because I hide my heart._   
_Why do I fear whenever you are near?_

__

For every breath I take, for every wish I make   
_All I have to do is say that I love you._   
_Every time I dream, and every time I scheme,_   
_All I want from you is hear you love me too._

__

When I look at you, I know just what to do,   
_It's easy, I know, but I think you'll say no._   
_I fear rejection's pain and grow quiet again._

__

For every breath I take, for every wish I make   
_All I have to do is say that I love you._   
_Every time I dream, and every time I scheme,_   
_All I want from you is hear you love me too._

__

Time to the truth, pressure through the roof   
_It's destiny I'm told, just like in days of old_   
_Will I pass the test, and lay this pain to rest?_

__

For every breath I take, for every wish I make   
_All I have to do is say that I love you._   
_Every time I dream, and every time I scheme,_

__

All I want from you is hear you love me too. 

__

All I have to do is say that I love you.   
_All I want from you is hear you love me too._

When she finished, the audience applauded. After taking a bow, she noticed Ash and the others were coming to the stage.   
"That was terrific, Misty," Tracey congratulated. "And you wrote that yourself?"   
"Yes," Misty replied.   
"If you don't win this," Ash said as they walked out, "then those judges are deaf."   
"Thank you," Misty blushed.   
Brock remained silent. He noticed that Ash and Misty had been acting way too 'civil' to each other today. There hadn't been an argument all morning, and this intrigued him.   
"What are we going to do now?" Tracey asked.   
"I want to go hear the bands," Ash replied as he walked to a larger tent.   
"Me, too," Misty added as she followed Ash.   
"Something's up between those two," Brock whispered to Tracey.   
"They're being way too nice."   
"Maybe they told each other how they feel last night," Tracey replied.   
Brock looked at the couple walking in front of them. "Maybe you're right." 

__

I wonder if he's still mad about the fight yesterday, Misty thought as she walked next to Ash. _He's barely said anything this morning._   
Ash looked over at the girl next him. _Say something, stupid,_ he told himself.   
"Misty, I hope you win," Ash said weakly.   
"Thank you, Ash," Misty replied.   
"Ash," Misty said as they found a spot to stand at the band pavilion. "What will happen if I win?"   
"You'll perform tomorrow at the festival's end celebration with the other finalists," he replied as the band on stage started. 

"You wanted us, sir?" Jessie stated as her team entered Giovanni's office.   
"Yes," Giovanni replied as he leaned on his desk. "I want you to continue your activities concerning the capture of Ketchum's Pikachu."   
"But, sir," Jessie started.   
"I don't expect you to get it," he added. "I merely want you to keep tabs on the boy. This way, he won't be suspicious as why you are there."   
As the three left the office, James dropped his head and sighed. "I wish I hadn't returned my rubber suit so soon." 

Misty was getting nervous. The next award was for vocal soloists, and she was hoping that she won. Ash, Brock, and Tracey were standing next to her waiting for the announcement.   
"And now for soloist in the vocal category," the announcer said as he pull the card from an envelop, "Misty Waterflower."   
Misty shouted with joy as she ran up to the stage.   
"She sure is happy," Ash commented.   
"I recall a certain trainer who reacted the same way after winning the first round of the Pokémon League," Brock laughed.   
Ash looked up at Misty as she accepted her award. She walked over to the microphone and began her song. Ash could not take his eyes off her which was noticed by his two friends.   
"Man, he has it bad," Brock said after Misty finished.   
"You're one to talk," Tracey responded. "Look, there's Nurse Joy."   
"Where?" Brock said as he searched the crowd.   
While Tracey was getting a beating for his joke by Brock, neither noticed that Ash slipped away. Misty joined the other she asked where was Ash. When the others said they did not know, she looked among the crowd.   
"Our final award is one for best of show," the announcer said to the audience. "Judges select the top performer from each category and chose a single competitor from among them. This chosen competitor then forfeits his category's award and receives the highest honor of the festival."   
Misty looked up at stage. Walking up to the announcer was a boy wearing a gold mask.   
"This year, the award goes to the instrumental soloist who wishes to remain anonymous," the announcer continued. "Many of you remember him from the Jigglypuff incident."   
"Ash," Misty whispered. "Why does he hide behind that mask?"   
"And now for the grand finale of the festival," the announcer stated, "our top competitor will perform on his pokéflute."   
He began to play his mournful song again but stopped after a moment.   
"I can't," he told the announcer as he ran off the stage.   
Many people in the audience were surprised by the action and began to murmur about the masked performer. Misty saw where was running and followed him. She managed to catch up with him when he stopped in the park.   
"Are you okay?" she asked as she walked up to him.   
He turned around and faced her. "No, I'm not," he told her.   
"What's wrong?" she asked.   
"Misty, how do you feel about me?" he asked in return.   
Misty was surprised by his question. "That depends on who is asking," she replied.   
He took off the mask and threw it to the ground. "I'm asking," Ash said.   
Misty knew it had been Ash but did not think he do something like this. "Ash, I..."   
"Would it have been better if it were someone else?" he asked.   
"I already knew," she told him. "I found the mask in your room."   
Ash sighed. Misty walked closer and wrapped her arms around his neck.   
"And to answer your first question," she said before she kissed him.   
Her kiss surprised Ash at first, but he soon returned it.   
When they pulled apart, Misty sighed. "You won't believe how long I wanted to do that," she whispered in his ear.   
"Since my birthday?" Ash asked weakly.   
"No," Misty laughed. "Since the time in the Viridian Forrest when you showed me how much you cared for your pokémon."   
Ash let a sigh of relief. He reached down and picked up his mask.   
"Guess, I won't be needing this anymore," he said as he put in his pocket. "I got nothing else to hide from you."   
The reality of his words hit Ash after he said that. _I have to tell her,_ he thought, _but at least I know she really loves me._


	14. An Open Book

Ash looked into the night sky while Misty and Brock were sleeping. They were going to the Pokémopolis ruins to pick up an artifact that Dr. Eve wanted Professor Oak to see. While Professor Oak was not an archeologist, she thought he could date the artifact with the equipment in his lab better than she could in the field.   
Ash looked over at Misty and smiled. It had been almost four months since the festival, and he could feel they were closer now than ever before. 'I'll tell her soon,' he thought as he looked up the stars.   
He remembered his dad once told him that people once believed that those lights in the sky controlled the future, but he also told Ash that your true destiny lies in your heart. _Funny use of words, considering our family,_ he thought as he drifted off to sleep. 

"Jessie, I'm starving," James whined.   
"Yeah," Meowth agreed. "Can't we go back to Pallet and get some grub."   
Jessie pulled out a fan and tried to knock sense into her teammates. "The boss told us to watch that twerp," she said to them, "and that's what we're going to do."   
"I wonder if anyone delivers out here," James said before receiving another blow to the head. 

"Careful!" a young woman shouted to three worker who were unloading a large crate from the back of a truck. "You going to..."   
She was cut off as the crate fell to ground. "Never mind," she sighed.   
"Dr. Eve," a voice called from the forest.   
She turned around and saw Ash and his friends coming from the forest. She then saw the taller boy come running to her.   
"Dr. Eve," he panted as he reached her. She noticed the weird look on his face and tried to recall his name.   
"Brock?" she asked.   
"You remember me," he shouted. "What are you doing this Saturday? I know this quiet little restaurant in Pallet..."   
His speech was ended by a mallet driving him waist deep into the ground.   
"Wasn't that a little too hard, Misty?" Ash asked her as he tried to pull Brock up.   
"Guess I got a little carried away," she giggled. She turned to Eve, "It's nice to see you again?"   
The child prodigy smiled. "I guess Professor Oak sent you here."   
"Yeah," Ash answered as he managed to get Brock's knees to ground level. "He thought since you knew us from when those giant pokémon appeared, we should pick up it instead of his assistant, Tracey."   
"Well," she said as Brock popped out of the ground, "I better show what I called about."   
She led them to tent filled with various objects from the dig. While Misty and Brock were looking at some of the little pokémon statues, Ash was staring at an object on the table.   
"You found several pretty statues," Misty said as she picked up one of a Pikachu.   
"You should see the large ones," Eve replied.   
Misty noticed that Ash was staring at something. She looked over his shoulder to see what. On the table was a very large, very old book. On the cover where several of the legendary pokémon that Misty had heard about, but a few she did not recognize.   
"Ah, I see you found it," Eve said as she walked to the other side of the table. "This seems to be another puzzle of the ancient city."   
"Why is that?" Brock asked.   
"Well," Eve answered, "it appears to be the oldest object we found so far. I believe that it's older than the city itself. That's why I wanted Professor Oak to date it for me."   
"What's so special about it?" Misty asked. She noticed that Ash's eyes had not left the book yet.   
"Have you ever heard the legend about a trainer called Destiny?" Eve asked them. When she said this, Pikachu ears perked up.   
"Pikapi cha! (Destiny!)" he shouted.   
He jumped up onto the table to get a better look at the book. He stared at it just as Ash seemed to come out of his trance.   
"Ash, are okay?" Misty asked him.   
He turned and smiled at her. "I am fine," he said. "I was staring at the pokémon on the cover."   
"Is that all you have in your mind?" Misty teased him.   
"Oh," he said as he took her hand, "I have a few other interests."   
Eve blinked at the two and whispered to Brock, "They finally got together?"   
"Yeah," he answered. "How about you and me try it?"   
"Sorry," she replied. "I'm kind of married to my work." 

Team Rocket watched the three came out of the tent and waved good-bye to the archeologists. Jessie saw Ash put the book into his backpack.   
"I bet that thing is worth a fortune," she said.   
"Who would pay that much for a book?" James asked.   
"A rich old fool, probably," Meowth answered.   
James sighed. "What do you have to lose?" 

"Do you know why Pikachu acted so strange back, Ash?" Brock asked his younger friend when they stopped for a rest.   
"No idea," he lied as he weakly laughed.   
"Ash, what is it?" Misty asked. Brock may not have noticed that Ash had acted the same way, but she did.   
"Pikachu pikapi? (Do you really know?)" Pikachu asked his trainer.   
Before he could answer, they heard a familiar poem come from up in the tree branches.   
"Prepare for trouble,"   
"And make it double."   
Two figures landed on a stump in front of Brock.   
"To protect the world from devastation," Jessie chanted.   
"To unite all peoples within our nation," James added.   
"To denounce the evils of truth and love,"   
"To extend our reach to the stars above."   
"Jessie,"   
"James."   
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light," Jessie continued.   
"Surrender now or prepare to fight," James said.   
"Now hand over that book," Meowth said as he landed in front of the two Rockets.   
"You got to be kidding?" Ash sighed. "Pikachu, thundershock."   
"Pika," Pikachu cried as sparks formed on his cheeks, "CHUUU!"   
The electricity shocked the three who fell to the ground burnt to as a crisp.   
"Just like old times, Jessie," James managed to say.   
"Shut up," she replied. "Go, Arbok."   
"Weezing, go," James said as he threw the pokéball. "Smokescreen."   
"Weezing," it cried as it filled the air with smoke.   
"Arbok, glare," Jessie commanded.   
"Char bok," it said as it approached Pikachu.   
"No you don't," Ash coughed as he inhaled some smoke. He pulled out a pokéball and tossed it. "Pidgeot, clear this smoke."   
"Pidgeo," it cried as it blew the smoke away.   
"Onix, go," Brock cried as he tossed a pokéball.   
Onix appeared between Arbok and Pikachu. Arbok, having built up to much speed, crashed into the rock pokémon.   
"Char bok," it said as it head swirled from dizziness.   
"Arbok, return," Jessie said. She was thinking if this was worth calling out Lickitung.   
She noticed James had recalled Weezing after Pidgeot gave it a wing attack.   
"I think we should do a tactical retreat," she said to James as she ran into the forest.   
"Wait up," he cried as he and Meowth followed her.   
"Look's like Team Rocket's running off again," they cried as they disappeared into the forest. 

"It's finished, sir," a scientist said to the head of Team Rocket.   
"Does it work?" he asked.   
"Yes, sir," the scientist replied. "It has effectively captured every single pokémon with out need of a battle."   
"Excellent," Giovanni said as he picked up the black pokéball. "Were the modification that I specified added?"   
"Yes, sir," the scientist answered with a worried looked on its face.   
"But isn't that a bit inhuman?"   
"Not for this pokémon," he told him. 

When Ash thought the others were asleep, he pulled the book out of his backpack. He again stared at the cover at the pokémon it pictured. The four that he recognized were the legendary birds, Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno, and Lugia. He remembered seeing the fifth bird when he started his pokémon journey, but the sixth pokémon gave him a weird feeling. It was like trying to remember a dream that just wanted to remain forgotten.   
Ash did not noticed, but Pikachu was watching him from his sleeping bag. _What is Ash doing?_ he wondered.   
Ash opened the book and looked at the strange language written on the paper. Ash then noticed his shirt was beginning to glow. He pulled the pendant his mother had given him on his birthday and found it was giving off a slight glow.   
Thankful for the source of light, he looked back at book. While he knew he had never seen the language before, he could understand the writing.   
"Ash?" a sleepy voice called.   
He turned and saw Misty in her pajamas standing behind him.   
"What are you doing..." she stopped when she saw his pendant glowing.   
"How is it glowing?"   
Ash closed the book and took her hand.   
"We have a lot to talk about," he told her, "but let's wait until the morning."   
"Sure, Ash," she said. She wondered what other secrets he had been keeping from her. 


	15. Deja Mew

A charizard lied on the hot sand of beach. It enjoyed sleeping here because of the warmth. A strange noise woke it from its midday nap. It looked up into the sky and saw an object flying to the island.   
"(Better tell master)" it grunted as it walked inland. 

Giovanni leaped out of the helicopter with Persian at his side. "He is here somewhere," he said as he looked around the clearing. Suddenly, a tree behind him exploded.   
_Leave this place,_ a voice inside his head said.   
Giovanni smirked. "Mewtwo, show yourself," he called.   
_I have nothing to say to you, Giovanni,_ he replied.   
A vulpix entered the clearing. _Vulpix, firespin attack,_ Mewtwo commanded.   
Giovanni jumped out of the way and pulled out a pokéball.   
"You want to play," he laughed. "Let's play."   
He began to feel the excitement he felt when he first began his pokémon journey. He was about to battle the most powerful pokémon ever created and its pokémon.   
"I choose Sandslash," he said as he tossed the pokéball.   
_Vulprix, agility,_ its hidden trainer called.   
"Sandslash, underground," Giovanni commanded.   
Sandslash dug underground as Vulpix started its attack.   
_Vulpix, keep an eye for where it might resurface,_ Mewtwo warned.   
"Sandslash, Seismic Toss," Giovanni shouted.   
Sandslash came out of the ground just under Vulpix, grabbed it, and went straight into the air. Before Vulpix could react, Sandslash threw it back to the ground.   
"Sandslash, return," Giovanni said as the pokémon disappeared into its pokéball.   
Mewtwo revealed himself from the shadows as he floated over to the fallen pokémon. After restoring it, he turned back to the human.   
_I will not go back with you,_ he told his former master.   
"I don't think you have much of a choice," Giovanni replied as he pulled a black pokéball out of his jacket.   
_You think you can capture me?_ Mewtwo laughed.   
Giovanni threw the pokéball at the pokémon.   
_What?!_ Mewtwo mentally shouted as he disappeared into the pokéball.   
"You were made for me," Giovanni said as he picked up the pokéball. "So, you belong to me."   
"Mew!" he heard as he walked back the waiting helicopter. He turned around and saw a small cat-like pokémon surrounded by several others.   
"A Mew," Giovanni muttered. "It could be useful."   
"I would not try anything," he warned them. "I will destroy Mewtwo if you attempt to rescue him."   
The pokémon glared at the smiling human. "If you bring me the trainer named Ash Ketchum," he told the mob, "I may consider letting him go."   
"Mew," replied the leader of the pokémon. She glared at the human that had captured her brother.   
"I knew you see it my way," Giovanni replied as he closed the door to the helicopter. 

As soon as the helicopter was out of sight, Mew turned to the others.   
*Wait here,* she told them. *I know who he was talking about.*   
She soared up in the air, heading to the mainland. She hoped she be able to reach the boy the in time. 

Misty awoke to see Ash reading the book that Dr. Eve had given them the day before. She leaned over his shoulder to see what was so interesting when she noticed it was written in an ancient language.   
"Ash, how can understand that?" she asked.   
Ash closed the book and turned to face her. "I think you should sit down," he told her.   
After Misty sat down, she put Togepi in her lap. "What is it, Ash?"   
Ash took in a deep breath. "Misty, I need to tell you about my family," he started. "Years ago, they were no pokémon trainers. Humans and pokémon lived in fear of each other, but that was until she appeared."   
He looked over at Pikachu who was pretending to be asleep. Brock was off collecting firewood which left them alone.   
"She taught people how to capture and train pokémon, but over time she was forgotten," he continued.   
"Yeah, I know this legend," Misty replied. "My father told me the story of Destiny when I was a little girl."   
"But that is not all," Ash told her. "She had a son who inherited his mother's essence. That inheritance was passed down through the generations. These descendants are called the children of Destiny by pokémon."   
Misty was shocked when she saw where this was going. "Are you saying that..."   
"I am the last one," he finished.   
Misty could not believe this. After her father told her the story, she had asked his pokémon if it was true. They were so awed by the question. Destiny was the most honored individual of pokémon. She had taught several of species their more powerful attacks. To them, both she and her children were deities.   
"And there is more," he whispered.   
Misty did not think she could take much more. First she was told that her boyfriend was a figure from mythology, and then to be told there was more was all she could handle.   
"When you followed me to that valley," he whispered into her ear, "we became bonded."   
Misty began to wonder if this had anything to do with her need to be with Ash.   
"What do you mean 'bonded'?" she asked.   
Ash sighed. "This has happened only once before so there are few details," he answered. "All I know is that it brought us closer together."   
Misty almost started to cry. "Do you loved me before, Ash?" she asked wanting to find confidence.   
Ash looked into her aquamarine eyes with his dark brown ones. "Misty, I wanted to take you with me so that you would love me," he answered. "All this did was make me realize how much I needed you."   
Misty hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Ash, I want you to know I had a crush on you since we first met. You were my first love."   
She wanted to assure both of them that their love was real and not some illusion brought on by an accident.   
"Misty, you don't have to worry," Ash told her. "We'll always be together." 

Mew was flying over the forest looking for Ash. She could feel his presence nearby. She did not know what that human wanted him for, but she could tell that it was for no good. 

Pikachu was thinking about what Ash had said. _My trainer is a child of Destiny,_ he thought as he paced back and forth.   
*What's wrong, Uncle Pikachu?* Togepi asked.   
*It's a grown-up thing, Togepi,* he answered. *Don't worry about it.*   
Togepi had never seen her uncle this worked up about anything before. Pikachu walked over to Ash's pokéballs and released everyone.   
*This had better be good,* Charizard grumbled at being awakened.   
*Shut up,* Pikachu yelled at him. *This is more important than your beauty sleep.*   
The others were surprised by Pikachu's reaction. This had to be very important if he mouth off to Charizard.   
*What's wrong?* Jigglypuff asked.   
*It's about Ash,* he replied.   
*Is he okay?* Squirtle interrupted.   
*Yes, but there is something you should know,* Pikachu answered. He whispered everything Ash had said earlier.   
*WHAT?!* they all yelled back. 

Ash heard the noise back at camp and noticed all his pokémon were talking together. He walked over to see what they were up to.   
"Pikachu, what's going on?" he asked.   
"Pi pikachu, (Aw, nothing)" the little pokémon lied.   
"Fine," Ash sighed. He picked up Togepi who was happy to spend time with her 'father'. "Breakfast will be ready in a little while."   
"Pika!" Pikachu called as Ash walked away.   
Turning back to the others, Pikachu said, *Maybe we should call him Master like other pokémon.*   
*Why start now?* Charizard grunted.   
*Yeah, Ash is more of our friend than a master,* Squirtle added.   
*But he is a child of Destiny!* Pidgeot shouted.   
*She's got a point* Pikachu sighed, *but I agree with Squirtle and Charizard. Ash is more than our trainer; he is our friend.*   
Agreeing with this, they returned to their pokéballs. 

Mew saw the smoke coming above the trees. She flew over to where it was coming from and saw the boy that had accompanied Ash to New Island. She decided to remain out of sight until she saw Ash.   
"Brock, that smells great," Misty said as she walked over to her older friend.   
"Thanks," he replied. "Get Ash; it's almost ready."   
Mew watched the girl walk off and called for Ash.   
"Coming," he called back.   
When he arrived with Pikachu and Togepi, Mew decided now was the time to make an entrance. She floated in front of the boy carrying the egg pokémon.   
"Mew," she greeted.   
Surprised by the sudden appearance of the strange pokémon, Ash jumped back. After recovering, he looked at the visitor. Brock and Misty had the same reaction as Ash, but after the shock, they seemed to remember this new creature.   
"Mew mew mew, (Time to remember)" she cooed as she restored their memories about New Island.   
With his new memories, Ash looked back at the Mew. "Where's Mewtwo?"   
"Mew mew mew, (A human captured him)" she answered. "Mew mew. (You must save him)"   
"How can we help?" he asked.   
"Mew mew, (He wants you)" she replied.   
"What is Mew saying, Ash?" Misty asked as she saw that he could understand the pokémon.   
"Someone captured Mewtwo," Ash replied. "But how can anyone capture such a powerful pokémon?"   
"Mew mew, (He had a new type of pokéball)" Mew answered. "Mew mew mew, (He didn't have to battle)"   
"Can you take us to him?"   
"Mew," she affirmed.   
"Then, I guess we have to make a side trip before returning to Pallet," Ash said. "Lead the way, Mew."


	16. A Journey's End

Ash stared at the two guards in front of the Viridian City Gym. Their bronze armor reflected the light of the setting sun adding to their gold color. Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Mew were behind him wondering what he was going to do.   
"Brock," Ash said at last. "How about you go get Officer Jenny and as many other policemen as you can."   
"And don't start drooling over her and forget about us," Misty warned.   
"All right," Brock replied, "but you two don't do anything until I get back."   
As he ran off, Ash turned to Mew. "I suggest you stay here."   
"Mew?" she questioned.   
Ash sighed. "This Giovanni has already captured Mewtwo," he answered.   
"If he captures you, he'll have control over two of the most powerful pokémon."   
"Mew," she sighed as she drifted back.   
"There's no way you're leaving me behind," Misty told him.   
"Pika," Pikachu agreed.   
"Never thought about trying," Ash sighed. 

__

Where am I? Mewtwo thought when he regained consciousness. All he could see was darkness but realized that it was caused by a visor. On his body, he felt the familiar burden of his old armor.   
"Nice to see you wake," a voice said.   
_Giovanni,_ he snarled. _Do you think you can hold me here?_   
Suddenly, pain rushed through his body causing Mewtwo to scream both physically and mentally.   
"I know I can," the voice mocked. "You belong to me."   
The visor began to lighten, allowing Mewtwo to see his surroundings. Before him was his former partner, but now he was afraid to admit that the human had more control over him.   
_I belong to no human,_ Mewtwo replied. This challenge was met by another pulse of pain running through his body.   
"You are a pokémon," Giovanni said to him. "Pokémon are meant to be captured and trained."   
Mewtwo sighed. This fact had haunted him ever since his 'birth'. He knew the legends of Destiny but denied that they ever apply to him. Now, he was forced to realize that he was no more removed from them than a lowly Caterpie.   
_Yes, master._

"Halt!" the guards said as Ash, Misty, and Pikachu approached the gym.   
"I am Ash Ketchum," Ash said to them.   
The guards looked at each other and nodded. "You have been expected."   
As they walked in and the doors closed behind them, Misty said, "Ash, are you sure we should be doing this?"   
"Too late to turn back now," Ash replied.   
They walked down the dark hallway to the brightly light arena. Ash looked at the far end and saw a figure sitting in the shadows on a balcony.   
"Glad you could come," he called.   
"I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," Ash replied. "I challenge you for Mewtwo."   
The figure laughed. "So impatient," he said. "Just like your father."   
This statement shocked ash. "You knew Dad?"   
"He crossed my path more than once," he replied. "That is until I had it stopped."   
Ash did not like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"   
"First, the match," the figure answered. "Nidoqueen, I choose you."   
"What's that?" Ash said as the pokémon appeared.   
"Nidoqueen, a ground, poison type," Dexter said as Ash pointed it towards the pokémon. "Its ponderous body is surprisingly agile, and its Tail Whip attack can seem to come from nowhere."   
"I guess speed is the key here," he said as he put Dexter away, "but electric attacks don't affect ground types, so I can't use Pikachu."   
He pulled a pokéball from his belt. "Go, Pidgeot."   
"Nidoqueen, poison sting attack," the gym leader instructed.   
"Pidgeot, fly high and dodge it," Ash called.   
Pidgeot flew to the roof and dodged the projectile the other pokémon fired.   
"Now, blind it with sand attack," Ash said.   
Pidgeot filled the gym with dust causing most in the arena to cough for air.   
"Now, dive and tackle," Ash said.   
"Nidoqueen, tail whip," the gym leader called.   
Before pokémon yelled as they performed their attacks but remained silent as they were still concealed by the dust. The fans in the gym came on, clearing the arena. Through the thinning haze, a proud bird was perched on top of her fallen opponent.   
"Pidgeot!" she cried.   
"Good job," Ash congratulated. "Now, return."   
"Nidoqueen, return," the gym leader said as his defeated pokémon. "Impressive, but now for a real challenge."   
A door below the balcony opened and revealed an armored pokémon. "I will let you choose two pokémon to battle this one."   
Ash recognized it as Mewtwo. "Mewtwo, why are you doing this?"   
I have no choice, he replied.   
"I will not fight," Ash said to the figure in the shadows.   
"Ash?" Misty asked confused. She had never seen him back away from a fight before.   
"Misty," he whispered to her. "None of my pokémon can match him. There's no way to win that fight."   
"Smart boy," the figure said as he stood up and walked into the light.   
"So, you are Giovanni," Ash said to the man standing on the balcony.   
"Yes," he replied as he rubbed the head of his Persian. "And you are the son of Michael Ketchum."   
"Yeah," Ash answered. "Now, how do you know my father?"   
"We grew up together," Giovanni said. "He was the greatest source of aggravation throughout my life, and his son replaced his role."   
"Like father, like son," Misty called back.   
Giovanni turned to the girl. "Or like daughter. Your father was no better."   
Giovanni looked at the couple on the floor of his arena. "I'll make you a deal," he said. "Join Team Rocket, and I'll forget everything you have done, Ash." 

Jessie, James, and Meowth were waiting for when the boss wanted them. They were getting impatient as they watched a storm brew outside of the window.   
"Jessie, I'm bored," James whined.   
"And I'm hungry," Meowth added.   
Jessie sighed. 'I wish I could get a new team,' she thought as she looked at the two. 'But James does have a cute smile.'   
"We have to wait for the signal," she replied.   
"And what is it?" James asked.   
"The boss said we would know when he gave it," she answered. 

"I would never join you," Ash shouted back.   
"You are just like your father," Giovanni sighed. "I will just have to give you the same warning. Mewtwo, destroy the girl."   
"What?!" both Ash and Misty screamed.   
_NO!_ Mewtwo replied.   
Giovanni pulled a black pokéball out of a pocket. "You will obey me," he said as he pushed a button on it.   
Ash watched as Mewtwo screamed in pain. _He is sacrificing himself for us,_ he thought. Ash looked up at the human causing the pain.   
"Stop this now!" Ash said as his eyes began to glow blue.   
Everyone watched as Ash began to envelop in a blue sphere of light.   
"Mewtwo, destroy him!" Giovanni shouted.   
Thinking that maybe he could take a small blast, Mewtwo threw an energy ball at him. It hit Ash square on the chest, sending him into the wall.   
"Ash!" Misty cried as she ran to him.   
Ash remained on the floor. 

Jessie heard the crash in the arena and grabbed James. "That must be the signal."   
"Let's go then," he said as he followed her. 

Mewtwo watched as the human lied still on the ground. Misty placed his head on her lap.   
"Come on, Ash," she pleaded for him to get up.   
"I'm sorry, Misty," he replied as he gasped for breath.   
"Don't you dare leave me," she said as his eyes closed and his chest stopped moving.   
"Ash," she said as she began to shake him. She felt like crying, but the tears would not come.   
"Pika pi?" Pikachu asked as he began to pull at Ash's limp arm. When he saw this was not working, he released all of his pokémon.   
They were all dazed from the jolt of being flung to the wall, but when they saw Ash, they immediately forgot their own pain and tried to help their trainer.   
_What have I done?_ Mewtwo thought. _I killed him._

Jessie and James entered the arena, but as they were about to do their speech, they saw Misty holding Ash's body.   
"What happened?" Jessie asked.   
"One less nuisance in the world," Giovanni laughed.   
"You never said you would kill him," James replied.   
"What did you think I was going to do?"   
Before either Jessie or James could say another world, Ash began to glow again. 

Misty watched as the cold body in her arms began to glow. She thought that maybe this would bring him back.   
The light began to gather and formed a sphere above his chest. It floated there for a moment then exploded causing a flash of light to blind everyone in the room. 

As his eyesight returned, Pikachu turned to Mewtwo.   
*You have just killed the last child of Destiny!!* he cried.   
Mewtwo hung his head low. _I don't care if it is the last thing I do,_ he thought, _but Giovanni is going to pay for this._


	17. I Know It's My Destiny

Flames engulfed the forest, spreading to the shrine in the center. Ash watched the destruction of the valley as another figure stood beside him.   
"This is the end," she sighed.   
"I'm sorry," Ash replied. He knew that he caused this.   
Destiny smiled at him. "You sacrificed yourself for Misty," she said. "At least my legacy ended nobly."   
She looked back at the flames as the shine's roof began to burn away. "I just wished it would not have been so soon."   
Ash began to cry. 'Of all the things I've messed up in my life,' he thought, 'why did I have to do this?'   
"I should have waited like Mom said," he sighed. "Maybe this would never had happened if I did."   
Destiny put her arm around Ash trying to comfort her 'child.' "Giovanni had interrupted the line before when he had your father killed," she said. "Nothing could have stopped this." 

MewTwo glared at his 'master'. _How dare you use me,_ he growled at him. _I destroyed a child of Destiny because of you!_   
Giovanni raised an eyebrow at this. He looked over to his Persian who was also growling at him. "So what?" he replied.   
While every pokémon glared at the human, but Misty was only concerned with the boy whose head was lying in her lap. "Ash," she cried as her tears fell onto his face. "Please don't leave me." 

The green meadows of the valley were now black covered with burnt out twigs. Destiny and Ash walked to the ruins of the shrine. A small flame remained on the old leather-bound book that once rested in there.   
"Our history," Ash gasped as he picked it while the flame flickered as he flipped through the black pages, "gone."   
Destiny sighed. "Not quite," she said as she pulled out the book that Ash was given by Dr. Eve.   
Destiny turned to page towards the back and looked up at Ash. "Do you know about the Phoenix?"   
Ash shook his head. If this was a pokémon, Professor Oak never told him about this one.   
Destiny looked at the small flame in Ash's hand. "The Phoenix was a bird similar to Moltres," she told him. "It would light the sky with its flames."   
She then looked into Ash's eyes. "There could be only one," she continued. "When its time was completed, a new one rose from its ashes."   
She took his hand while her body began glow with a gold light. The light passed through their bond to Ash. Ash closed his eyes as the light began to fill him.   
When he opened them, he saw Destiny keeling over. Her once blond hair was now gray, and her youthful face had aged to a grandmother's.   
"You must start a new legacy," she coughed as she continued to age. "This is the new Destiny for you to follow." 

Misty was still clinging to Ash when she felt his chest move. She stared as his breathing was becoming steady. The pendant on his chain was beginning to glow brighter with each breath. The tears returned when he opened his eyes.   
Ash stared back at the crying girl over him. He sat up and wrapped her arms around her. "You're not getting rid of that easily," he whispered into her ear.   
He looked at Giovanni who was cowering from the pokémon he could no longer control.   
"Giovanni," Ash hissed as his eyes turned gold.   
He looked at Misty. She was still holding tightly on to him.   
"I have to finish this," he told her.   
She looked into his eyes again. The gold light surprised her, but she saw his smile was still the same.   
"Be careful," she replied.   
"You know me," he laughed.   
Misty smiled. "Yes, I do," she replied. "You should be very careful then." 

Giovanni looked for Jessie and James, but they had disappeared when MewTwo leaped onto the balcony. He kept pushing the button on the pokéball, but MewTwo was ignoring the pain. Even his Persian had turned against him. Pikachu had joined the two with his checks sparking from the electricity he was building up. He hoped he could reach the door before they decided to pounce.   
"Stop!" a voice shouted.   
Giovanni looked past the angry pokémon and turned even paler. "It's not possible," he murmured.   
Pikachu turned around to see who was there. "Pikapi!" he shouted as he leaped into Ash's arms.   
_How is this possible?_ MewTwo asked.   
"A matter of Destiny," Ash replied. "First, your pain."   
He took MewTwo's helmet off and touched his head. MewTwo closed his eyes as he felt an energy flow through him taking away his pain. His armor faded away, and he opened his eyes.   
_Thank you,_ he replied.   
Ash smiled, but it vanished when he turned to Giovanni.   
"You killed my father, his friends, and Destiny," he told him. Giovanni did not recognize the third victim, but he was not in a position to deny it either.   
Giovanni reached into his pocket and found his method of escape.   
"And you think that you will stop me," he replied. "Think again."   
He pulled a flash bomb out of his pocket and threw it on the ground. While the other were blinded he slipped through the door.   
When Ash rushed to the door, it flung open with Giovanni falling on top of him.   
"Consider that my resignation," James said as he walked through the door.   
Jessie followed him and kicked Giovanni in the groin. "And there's mine." 

Brock finally arrived with Officer Jenny and the rest of the Viridian City Police. After arresting Giovanni and the rest of Team Rocket, they took Jessie, James, and Meowth for their statement. After a long speech from Misty, Brock, and Officer Jenny, Ash reluctantly agreed to go to the hospital to check for injuries. While there, Mew and MewTwo hung around the rooftops waiting for a chance to thank the boy. 

After finally being left alone in his hospital room, Ash closed his eyes to sleep when he heard something tap on his window. He looked over and saw the two pokémon hovering outside.   
_Can we come in?_ MewTwo asked.   
"Sure," Ash said as he got out of bed and opened the window. Mew slipped in easily, but it took MewTwo a little more effort.   
"Mew mew mew (We just wanted to thank you)" Mew cooed.   
"No problem," Ash smiled.   
MewTwo looked at Mew who nodded at her brother. _Ash, I have something important to ask you,_ he told the human. _How did you come back?_   
Ash sighed. "Destiny said something about the Phoenix," he replied.   
MewTwo was puzzled by this answer, but Mew understood. "Mew mew mew (You are no longer the child now)" she said.   
Ash nodded, and MewTwo understood. His next action surprised everyone in the room.   
He knelt down to Ash. _You are a new Destiny for us,_ he mentally said. Mew joined him in bowing to Ash.   
Ash looked at the pokémon and shook his head. "No," he said. "My pokémon are my friends. I always wanted that."   
Mew and MewTwo looked at each other smiled.   
*First a Destiny that brought humans and pokémon together in harmony through trainers* Mew told her brother.   
*And now one that will bring us together in friendship* he replied.   
We must return home, MewTwo told Ash.   
"I hope to see you again someday," Ash replied as the two exited through the window.   
_So do I,_ MewTwo answered as he and Mew disappeared into the sky. 

"We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of all charges," the foreman said.   
"Giovanni Rocket, you have been found guilty by this court," the judge told the man standing before him. "It is the judgment of this court that you serve no less than three consecutive life-sentences without the possibility of parole. This case is closed." 

The Ketchums and Waterflowers were satisfied with the decision. Giovanni would never be able to harm another person for as long as he lived. Ash looked at Misty when they left the courtroom. The trail caused Ash to miss the Pokémon League Championship again, but it was worth seeing the murderer of his and Misty's fathers locked away.   
As they walked outside, they saw Jessie and James. The two former Rockets had made a deal with the district attorney since they never got into real trouble and testified against Giovanni.   
"Hey, guys," Ash called as he and Misty joined the older teens.   
"Hi, Ash," Jessie replied. "I'm glad that's all over."   
"Me, too," Misty sighed. "I never want to think about that man again."   
Ash looked at her. "Misty," he whispered to her. "I think you need to see someone."   
Misty nodded in agreement, and the couple left the others at the courthouse. 

"Hi, Dad, Mom," Misty said to the two gravestones in front of her. "I know it has been a while since we talked last..."   
Misty started to cry. She had only been to here once since the funeral and that was when she ran away from home. She felt an arm wrap around her waist.   
"I like you to meet someone," she continued.   
"Hello, Uncle John," Ash said. "I just want you to know that your daughter is the most wonderful person I know."   
Misty smiled at what Ash said about her. "I promise, I'll never anything happen to her," he added.   
He gave a quick peek on the cheek. Misty turned back the tombstones. "I promise to come back soon," she said as she took Ash's hand. 

As Ash and Misty walked away, Misty looked up at the sky. The last few days had been very cloudy from the storms of the past weeks. Now it was a bright blue without a cloud.   
"The storms have finally passed," she whispered.   
"Yes, they have," Ash replied. 

The End (Or A Beginning) 


End file.
